Of Love And Royals
by Bluecookies19
Summary: Annabeth didn't want to be a princess. She wanted to marry for love, not for something else. But she finds herself stuck in an unwanted engagement, left to choose between two boys, and a school for rich kids. She's tossed into a blender of reality mixed into a cup of nonsense. It's Annabeth versus her I-despise-commoners mom, and it's up to her to fight for love, or die-trying.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Percy

I didn't want to fall in love with a princess. I honestly didn't. Now, some of you must be thinking that I'm a weird person, for not wanting to fall for a princess. I mean, a princess has it all right? The beauty, the grace, the brains, everything. But no. The princess I fell for had them all, but everything's different.

Everybody wants a good love story. Like a fairytale-like love story. Where the guy's the prince and the girl's the princess. But it isn't the same thing for my princess and me. I was a commoner, and she was a, well, a princess. I'm not exactly a lowly commoner because I had at least money, but it's the same story. She was like heaven and I was like earth. We're so close, but so far. She's just totally out of my league.

I'll introduce myself first. My name's Percy Jackson, and I just turned seventeen last week. I live in a nice apartment in New York with my Mom and stepdad. My real dad died when I was just a baby, so I didn't get to see him. But whenever I see the pictures of him and Mom, I knew they must really have loved each other. I don't know. I never met him.

Anyways, I'm a senior in Goode High. Until now, I still can't actually believe that I got to study in Goode. I mean, it's a really rich and prestigious school. It's really big, and there's a baseball, football, and soccer field. There's even a race track, and there are two huge swimming pools. The buildings are like mansions, and almost every student there is, well, rich. Emphasis on almost. Not everyone, like me. The rich kids are those of big families. They're heirs, major shareholders, or just plain rich. I'm not an heir, a shareholder, or rich, but my stepdad (he's cool, by the way) works there as an English teacher, so I got to study there as well. Honestly, I think my life's pretty cool. We're not exactly rich, but at least I've never missed a meal and I have everything I needed, and some of the things I wanted. I'm contented with that.

So how did a princess come into the story, you ask? Well, because Goode's a school for rich kids, there's a chance royalties might attend. I had a few friends who are royalty (though they kept in secret), but we never thought we'd have another addition. And it so happened that I'm the first to know that she's a princess. And suddenly I started falling for her.

Things come when you least expect them to. And a certain gray-eyed royalty stole my heart when I least expected her to do so, too.

~oOo~

Annabeth

I walked through the great halls furiously, my cheeks pink and my fists clenched. Honestly! What did my mother want now? It was already evening, and I was supposed to be spending the time _alone _in my room while I go to the Internet. And to think, she even made me wear a freaking dress! I mean the skirts-that-reach-the-ankle-and-keeps-tugging-at-your-shoes type of dress. And it snagged on the heels that she also had me wear. Aarrgghh!

"Damn!" I cursed out loud, not caring if anybody heard. Huh. I removed the shoes from my feet and chucked them as far as they would go. They landed near the big pendulum clock that was on the center of the big living room.

With the feet devils away from my sore feet, I lifted my skirts and rushed to the throne room. I opened the two big doors, and then I ran to where my mother was, my feet padding on the soft carpet. My mother, Queen Athena, stood up when she saw me. She was wearing a long gray dress, and she wasn't wearing her crown. She still looked regal, though. She always does.

I curtsied in front of her, and I smirked when she frowned when she saw that I was barefoot. I straightened up and brushed a stray blonde curl away from my eyes.

"Mother," I said. Athena nodded and clasped her hands together. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk to you, Annabeth," she said. "About your responsibilities as the princess of Olympia." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her.

"What about them?" I tried to keep the impatience in my voice unnoticeable.

"It seems to me that you are not doing your duties," my mother said, her brows furrowing and disapproval in her gray eyes.

"What do you mean?" I said.

"What did you do to the last prince who came to visit?" she inquired. "Prince Jonathan, wasn't it?"

"I did what I had to do with him," I said dryly. "Obviously I sent him away."

"You can't keep shunning your suitors, Annabeth!" Mom's eyes flashed with anger. "He was the twenty-seventh prince in eight months that you have sent away. You're already seventeen, and we still haven't found you a suitable husband."

"For god's sake, Mom!" I almost shouted. "Why do you keep finding me a guy? Can't I just live my life normally and find my own boyfriend when the time comes?"

"You cannot live normally!" Mom said. "You are a princess. You cannot marry anyone who isn't royalty. By the time you turn eighteen you should be married!"

"Prince William married Kate Middleton and she wasn't royalty," I retorted. "Why can't I do the same?"

"Because it's different," Athena said. "Completely different from your case."

"Well what about you and Dad?" I snapped. "He wasn't royalty. And _I'm _a princess." My mother was silent for a while, and I could see sadness in her eyes.

"It was a mistake, what we did," she said quietly.

"So I'm a mistake?" I said harshly. "Well, tell you what; I'd rather be a commoner than be a princess."

"It doesn't matter!" Athena snapped. "My family is of pure blood –therefore, there is more royal blood to you than a commoner's. You are a princess and always will be. Therefore you should fulfill your responsibilities!"

"I don't give a damn about my responsibilities!" I said. "I don't care about them. I'm not gonna get married next year. Now if you'll please excuse me, I need to go to my room." With that, I turned around and stormed out of the throne room.

I officially hate my life. Why does it have to be like this? I guess I should probably introduce myself first. My name is Annabeth Chase, and I'm a princess. Not just any kind of princess. I happened to be the princess of one of the richest places in the world, the Kingdom of Olympia.

Now don't get deceived when I say I'm a princess. I don't live in castles with moats and knights and carriages, if that's what you think. No, I'm a modern-day princess. Uh, duh? This is the 21st century! And Olympia isn't a medieval city too. It's just like New York or Vegas.

When I said I didn't live in a castle… well, I'm sorry about that. Of course I live in a castle! What princess doesn't? But my castle didn't look like the ones you see in movies or the others from other kingdoms. It's big, yes, but it looked more like a mansion, only thrice the size of a normal one. I can prove that I'm a modern-day princess –I have gadgets, I use cars instead of carriages, and the palace was air conditioned. Umm… is that enough?

And, I don't wear ball gowns like old-time princesses do. I only wear casual dresses, but I prefer t-shirts with jeans and sneakers. I wear gowns on special occasions, but not those exaggerated ones. Just simple yet elegant. I mean, who wears puffed out sleeves with ruffles and tights with wigs these days?

Anyways, I headed to my room and opened the door. Then I locked it behind me. I discarded the frilly dress that my mother had me wear, and exchanged it for comfortable pajamas. Then I turned the air condition on, and then I plopped into my bed.

I really loved my room. The whole palace, actually. But mostly my room. It looks like a normal teenager's room, only grander and bigger, I guess. It's big, and two of the walls were painted mint-green while the rest are painted baby pink. My bed was in the center, and the comforters were owl-printed and I had many pillows. I had large windows, and I had these pretty white curtains. The floor was wood, but most of it is covered with my soft carpet.

I had a mini-living room there, complete with couches and a coffee table. A flat screen was suspended on the wall, and below that was the console where I put my DVD's.

Then on another part of the wall was my beloved bookshelf. Did I mention that I really loved reading? The shelves were filled from top to bottom with all my favorite books. For example, The Hunger Games, The Mortal Instruments, The Chronicles of Narnia, and all those kind of good books.

I grabbed my gray iPhone from the bedside table and flicked it open. There were two missed calls from my best friend, Thalia Grace. I put my phone away and turned the TV on.

I was scrolling through Netflix when I heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," I called, putting the remote down. The door opened and one of the servants, her name was Josephine, entered. She bowed slightly.

"Good evening, Your Highness," she said. "Your mother sent me to inform you that Prince Luke Castellan of Sobryta will be arriving tomorrow with his father, King Hermes. Queen Athena says that you are to get up early and get ready to meet them."

"Thanks, Josephine," I said. "You can go now." Josephine smiled and bowed again, and then she exited the room, closing the door gently behind her.

I let out a groan and let the remote fall to the ground with a thud. Not again. Another suitor? But I just sent the latest away, like, last week! What the heck is wrong with my mother? I really hate being a princess. If only I was just a normal teenager, happy and free. Without knowing it, I fell asleep, still miserable and desperate.

~oOo~

"Turn around, Your Highness," My stylist, Carinthia, said. I slowly did so I was facing the mirror. And damn, she was right of what she said a minute ago. Not to brag or anything, but I looked breathtaking.

I was wearing this pretty white dress that somehow looked like a wedding dress, except it had tinges of blue in it. The bodice was tight and was decorated with crystals and blue gems, and the skirt was ruffled. My hair was done in what they called "chignon." Honestly, it was just a complicated term of bun or French pleat, but all in all it looked good on me. As requested by me, I didn't have a lot of make-up on. But Carinthia did a good job in making me look pretty. Oh well. She said I was pretty normally, anyway.

Today's the day. Prince Luke Castellan and his father, the king of Sobryta, King Hermes, will arrive today. And like the usual, I would have to talk to him, and then Mom will engage us and blah, blah, blah. Huh. Good luck with that, though. Because I'm not marrying anyone.

After Carinthia fit on the stupid 6-inch heels that I would have to wear on my feet for me, I thanked her and strode out of the dressing room and made my way to the dining room. While I was walking, horrible thoughts came into my mind. What if Luke didn't look good? What if he was way older than me? What if he had broken, yellow, or crooked teeth? What if he had foul breath? Worst of all, what if he was a pervert?

All these questions were answered, though, when I entered the dining hall. Three people were seated in the table –my mom, King Hermes, and, well, Luke. I still couldn't see him because his back was facing me, but they all stood and turned to me when they heard me enter. And oh boy, all my suspicions about him were wrong. He looked _really _good.

Luke was tall, taller than me, I could tell, even with me wearing these damn heels. He had sand-colored hair and blue eyes. He looked great, but the scar that extended from under his right eye to his jaw kind of set his looks off. Well, just kind of. He was, well, I guess I should say this, _hot._

I mentally shook my head. Looks could be deceiving. He may be handsome, yes, but what about his attitude? I guess I'm gonna know in a minute.

I walked toward the table and curtsied to Mom and King Hermes. Mom smiled and kissed me on my cheeks, and then Hermes smiled warmly and hugged me, and then Luke took my hand and kissed it. Shit. He was charming. But still not my type, though.

"Ah, so this young lady is your daughter, am I right?" Hermes asked my mother, who smiled and nodded. "She makes a fine girl. And you will look good with my son here, Luke. I expect you to bear good grandchildren." And he laughed heartily along with Mom. What the hell? Luke and I haven't even talked yet and he's talking about children? Damn him.

We all sat down and had dinner. I made sure I minded my manners, and I went well. Mom and Hermes talked, and after dessert, I excused myself so I could go away. Luke excused himself too, though, so we ended up going to the garden. Oh, joy. We would have to talk.

"So," Luke began, clearing his throat. "Hi. My name's Luke."

"So I've heard," I replied. "I'm Annabeth." We were silent for a while and I just pretended to admire the roses that I saw.

"I'm sorry you had to marry me," Luke said after a minute. "Believe me; I don't want to marry you, too. I mean, no offense, you're a wonderful girl, but-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," I said, finally turning to look him in the eyes. "I mean, I feel the same. And we're still young."

"Sometimes I wonder what my life would be if I was just a commoner, you know," he said quietly. "It would have been so much fun. I would prefer to be a normal person than a royalty." Finally, someone who feels the same as me. I decided that Luke was a nice person, after all. He's good-looking, he's not a pervert, and he didn't want to marry me too. I learned about him when we talked in the garden.

We both got inside afterwards, and we saw Mom and Hermes laughing together. When they saw us, their smiles widened even more.

"Annabeth, Luke," Mom said, beckoning us to them. "Come. I have great news." We did as told, and Mom continued talking. "So… King Hermes and I have had things settled. You two will be married at your eighteenth birthday, next July."

"What?" I exclaimed incredulously. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah," Luke stepped in. "Dad, you must be joking."

"No, we are not," Hermes said. "It's settled. You are now engaged."

"But Mom," I sputtered out, "this is wrong. I can't marry Luke. There must be some mistake."

"No, it is official, my dear," Mom said. "You are to be married when you turn eighteen."

"But," I start, but she didn't let me finish. Hermes and Luke said their good-byes, and they both exited the room. When they were gone, I faced my mother.

"You're kidding me," I said. "Mom, you can't do this."

"Annabeth, you have to do this," she said, her gray eyes stern but somehow pleading. "You are a princess. You need to fulfill your responsibilities."

"Mom, all I've ever done in my life is doing my responsibilities!" I almost shout. "I've never lived a normal life. Ever. Not even for just a year."

"Annabeth, you must understand that you will _never_ be normal. You are a princess! You're royalty! You are-"

"I'm human, Mom!" I protested. "I need to be normal. I want to be." My mother sighed.

"Then what is your definition of normal?" she asked. I looked down. The truth is, I don't know. I don't have a lot of friends, because I'm not allowed to go out the grounds. I do have my awesome best friend, Thalia Grace. Her father was a king, but she refused to be a princess. She went here to our kingdom and we became friends. She got a special position in the guards. She also had a brother, who's studying high school in New York. I mean, can you believe that? Two royalties living a not-so-classy life? I wish I was like them.

"I don't really know," I admitted. "I mean, I never tried being normal. But maybe, like, be a normal teenager: have friends, have sleepover parties, go shopping, go to school… Oh. Wait." A thought hit me. A crazy, impossible thought, but still a good idea. I looked at my mother straight in the eyes.

"Mother," I said slowly, "I'm really getting married, aren't I?" She nodded.

"I'm sorry, but yes," she said.

"And I can do nothing about it, right?"

"Yes."

"So…" I trailed off. "Because I know I'm not on the winning side of this, can you do me a favor?" Athena frowned, her head tilting to the side.

"What do you mean?" she asked. I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

"I wanna live a normal life," I blurt out. "Well, not really. Just for a year. You know; I'm already seventeen, and… I guess I want to live my last year normally, before I get… married."

"And what do you intend to do?" My mother asked.

"Send me to the city," I said. "I wanna live there for a while. I wanna attend a normal high school. No bodyguards, stylists, servants, and butlers with me. Just me and Thalia. Please."

"Annabeth, I cannot let you do that," My mother said. "It's very dangerous. You are a princess, and-"

"I won't let anybody know," I promised. "And Mom, I'm already seventeen. I can take care of myself."

"I still cannot let you go," Mom shook her head. "I'm sorry, Annabeth, but no."

"But, Mom!" I said, exasperated. "All I'm asking is just one year. I'm going to spend the rest of my life here in Olympia or Sobryta, anyway, married and _doing my responsibilities._" My mother considered this for a few moments. Meanwhile I kept my fingers crossed behind my back. _Please,_ I thought. _Give me a shot. Just this once. Please._

"Alright," Mom finally said. "I will let you go to New York with Thalia." Oh. My. Gods. Did she just say that?

"Really?" I squealed, jumping up and down. I went and hugged her real tight. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mom!"

"Annabeth." my mother frowned, although there was amusement in her voice. "Please stop doing that. It's very unladylike."

"Oh, sorry." I untangled myself from her. "Thanks, Mom." She nodded and smiled.

"But," she said, "one condition. You shouldn't go anywhere without Thalia. Make friends if you must, but never reveal to them your identity. They might be children of robbers." I couldn't believe my mother could think so lowly of people. But I held back a biting comment. I was too happy to contradict her.

"And," she continued, "I shall be the one to choose which school you attend. I will do some researches for good schools in New York. I will tell you tomorrow morning. And I will also send someone to tell Thalia, so you two could start packing. You are dismissed." I knew I was supposed to go out now, but I couldn't help it. I hugged my mother again, and I swear I saw her smile.

"Thanks, Mom," I whispered. Then I went out of the room, my heart pounding and myself sure that this is definitely the best day –or, well, evening –of my life.

~oOo~

I woke up with someone continuously shaking my shoulder.

"Annie, wake up!" My eyes flew open when I heard that godsdamned nickname, and was met with a pair of electric blue eyes.

"Thalia!" I screamed. "What the hell are you doing here?" It was early in the morning, and we were both in our pajamas in my bedroom. Thalia was wearing her usual bed outfit –black long-sleeved shirt with black pajama pants. Miss Ray of Sunshine, Thalia is.

"So is it true?" she asked, ignoring the fact that I just screamed a while ago. "We're going to New York?"

"Yes," I said, sitting up. "Have you started packing?"

"I will later. What are we gonna do there?" she asked excitedly. I shrugged.

"We're going to school," I said, and Thalia groaned and let herself fall face-first on my bed. "Come on, Thals, it can't be that bad! I mean, I've never attended a real high school. It must be real fun."

"Whatever. Anyway, I came to tell you something."

"And that is?"

"Your mother wants to meet us in the dining hall right now." And that's when everything broke loose. I literally jumped off bed, hastily combing my hair along the way. Still on socks with slippers, Thalia and I rushed to the dining hall, where my mother sat, eating breakfast. When she saw us, she smiled and motioned for us to sit down. After greeting her, she cleared her throat at us.

"So," she said, "I looked for a good school for you. And I found one." Thalia and I both leaned forward, eager to know where we will both be attending for the whole year.

"What school?" I asked.

"It's a wonderful school," my mother said, not answering my question. "It's big and safe. And you don't have to worry about making friends who might be children of robbers."

"Mom, just tell me," I muttered. Mom smiled in response.

"Annabeth," she said, smiling, "you're going to Good High."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! And I'm back with another story. If you have been with me since my very first story, All You Need Is Love, well then, hi again! I told you I'd be back by September or March, and obviously I chose September ;) This story is supposed to be out by September 1, but I figured that I can't wait anymore :)**

**And to those who didn't know me, well, hi, I'm Bluecookies19 or Megan. I hope you guys enjoy this story. Unlike my previous stories, where I update everyday, I will be updating once a week for Of Love And Royals. If I fail to do so, then blame it on school or travel :)**

**Sorry for the long author's note. There won't be anything on the bottom, anyway :) So here's Chapter 2. Enjoy!**

**Spoiler Alert: Percabeth meets the chapter after this.**

**Disclaimer: There will be only one for the entire story, and that would be, I AM NOT RICK RIORDAN. I am a simple teenage girl. Therefore, I don't and never will own Percy Jackson and The Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus. Okay? Okay.**

Chapter 2

Annabeth

I tucked my Beats neatly inside my back pack as our private jet prepared for landing. I leaned back on my chair and closed my eyes.

This had been a tiring morning. First, I woke up early and got ready. Then Mom began telling me about taking care while I was in New York, and blah, blah, blah. Then I went to say good-bye to Luke. That wasn't really such a bad thing. He hugged me and wished me luck. He even kissed me on the forehead before I went away.

Okay, this might be weird, but I'm beginning to trust Luke. I mean, he's not really a bad guy. He didn't want to marry me, after all. The one problem was his mentor, a scrawny blonde named Octavian, who seemed to be scheming and cunning. He also seemed eager in getting Luke and I married. Huh. Anyway, I forgot about those bad thoughts immediately because I was really excited. I'm finally going to step on American soil. I felt Thalia shift beside me on our seat.

"It's really a nice day, isn't it?" Thalia said, and I opened my eyes and nodded. "I'm really excited."

"Yeah, you're not the only one," I replied, grinning. "Mom says we're gonna have a dormitory?"

"Yep," Thalia said. "Too bad, we're not roommates, though."

"Don't worry," I said. "Maybe our rooms are near each other."

A few seconds later, the stewardess came to us and told us that we already landed. Keeping a crazy grin to myself, I stood up and swung my back pack over my shoulder and started walking to the exit. Mom sent a few bodyguards with Thalia and me on the plane, but they wouldn't be accompanying us to the school anymore. Good. Freedom, finally. Although my mother insisted that I call her once every day, so I guess I'm still on radar.

Two of my bodyguards took care of my luggage, which consisted of two big suitcases and another back pack. Thalia only brought one suitcase, so she didn't need anyone to hold it for her. I doubted that she would let anyone, anyway.

"Hello, New York," I breathed out as soon as I stepped out of the stairs. "Wow. It's really amazing."

"Shut up, princess, we're still in the airport," Thalia teased. "I'm sure it's amazing, though."

"Of course it is," I said. "I mean, it's the city that never sleeps, right?" Imagine Dragons' song, It's Time, immediately played in my mind. _Cause after all, the city never sleeps at night._ I wonder if they meant New York.

We didn't hail a taxi cab because a) Thalia said it wouldn't be smart because the school where we're going was very rich, and we'd feel inferior if we went out of a taxi cab and b) a shiny black limousine was already waiting for us.

I stepped inside the car and Thalia went after me. The guards shut the door and then they got inside. Then the driver started driving.

I watched in awe as we passed the city. Everything looked really amazing, full of adventures and fun. There were a lot of buildings and a lot of people. It's way better than Olympia.

We soon reached a big place. I mean, the grounds were really big, as far as I could tell. Several-foot-tall fences guarded the place, and there was a really big gate. When the guard on the gate saw us, he pressed something on a remote he was holding and the gates opened. Our car passed through.

Now I could see the whole place clearly. What was it? It had really huge, green grounds, and there were a lot of buildings the size of mansions. It obviously belonged to a very rich person, but who? And what are we doing here?

I also noticed along the way that there were some fields that looked suspiciously for sports. Maybe the owner of the place liked playing. There was also the American flag suspended on a 10-foot-tall pole. When I looked closer, I saw that the pole was made out of silver and had gems encrusted on it. So the person who owns the place must really be rich.

But then I saw something strange. The car stopped in front of what seemed like the main building, which was really, really big. When I looked out, I saw _students._ They were everywhere, sitting on groups on the green, grassy grounds, walking to gods-know-where, laughing, and talking. They were also clad in aristocratic uniforms.

Wait. Something is definitely wrong. This can't be Goode High… can it? I was pretty sure I told Mom that I wanted to attend a normal high school, not one for rich people. I was about to call her when my door opened, and my bodyguards beckoned me out.

I stepped outside, the warm sunlight hitting me on the eyes. So this _is _Goode. Mother of nymphs, the place was huge! And I also realized that today was September 1. It's the first day of school.

I got looks from everybody as I walked the smooth pathway to the main building. I must really look like a diva or something. I was wearing a dark-blue striped long-sleeved shirt, which I paired with a white dungaree that reached to the middle of my thighs. I was suddenly wary that I was showing a lot of leg. Oh well. I didn't have anything to be embarrassed about, anyway; my legs, according to, well, everybody, were flawless and perfect.

Two bodyguards walked on either side of me, and one carried my luggage. Thalia walked behind, and she looked like she was holding back a laugh.

We entered the main building and oh gods, let me tell you that it looked like the lobby of a hotel. And not just any hotel –the grandest hotel. The accent was sophisticated yet aristocratic at the same time. Kudos to the architect and the designer.

The clerk, or whatever she was, looked up and smiled when she saw us. She stopped messing with her computer and smiled sweetly at me.

"You must be the transferee," she said. "Come, Miss. Your mother told me to show you your room first."

"Oh, I'm not the only transfer," I said, gesturing to Thalia, who smirked (seriously, Thals?) at the woman. "She's a transfer too."

"I see," the woman said, her smile faltering a little bit when she saw Thalia, who was wearing all black. "Well, let's go. The dormitories are this way." We followed her through a flight of stairs, and then we reached an elevator. Even the inside was cool. So dramatic.

The woman –I looked at her name tag and it read Jody –pressed floor number 4 on the buttons. Oh crap. This place is really big.

After a few moments, the elevator stopped and the door opened. Jody, Thalia, the bodyguards, and I exited it, and Jody led us through elegant hallways until we reached a door. Jody turned to Thalia and gave her a card.

"You're room's in there," she said, pointing to a door next to the one on the right of the door I'm standing in front of. Thalia grabbed the card and, for some reason I don't know, put it between her teeth and started walking to the door. She swiped it on the I-don't-know-what-it's-called thing next to the door and I heard it unlock. Thalia looked at me and grinned, and then she went inside.

"So," Jody turned to me, all sweetness back, "this is your room, sweetie. You're sharing it with Piper McLean. She's a pretty girl, and she's also a senior, so I'm sure you'll go well together. Good luck." She handed me my card and then she left.

I took a deep breath and swiped it on the thing next to the door and it unlocked. Then I opened the door.

The room was really big. The walls were painted a pastel baby blue. Good. Just the right shade. There were two beds on either side. The bed on the right side was clean and made. It had a purple mattress with leaf prints on it, and a two big white pillows and a throw pillow. Then there was a desk with a few books, a laptop and a few girly things. There was also a purple bean bag and a closet.

Then on the other side was another bed. It was also clean ad made, with a mint-green mattress wit owl prints on it. There were also two big white pillows, and a lot of throw pillows. There was also a desk, but it had a lot of books and a computer on it. The desk was really organized. Then there was a closet and another bean bag, which was sea-green in color.

I also noticed a door, so it must be the bathroom. I told my bodyguards to leave my stuff near the bed, and after they did, they left. So there was only me.

Suddenly, the bathroom door opened and a girl got out. She seemed startled to see me, but after a while she smiled. She must be Piper McLean. Jody was right; she was really pretty. Piper was tall, and she had brown skin and eyes that seemed to shift colors. I don't know if it's because of the light or something else, but they were dazzling. Her brown hair was cut choppily and short, but she was able to have two braids with feathers on it.

"Hi," she said. "You must be the new transfer."

"Yeah," I said awkwardly. "I'm Annabeth Chase."

"Piper McLean." She smiled and held out her hand to me, and I shook it. "Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise," I said, and then I realized that I was being too formal. Crap, I'm acting like a princess again. _Loosen up_, I thought. I cleared my throat. "Uh, I mean, yeah, me too. Nice to see, um, I mean, meet you, Piper."

"So, today's the first day of school," Piper said, beaming at me. "Do you want me to show you around?"

~oOo~

Percy

"Percy, honey, wake up! You're going to be late for school." I let out a groan as I slowly opened my eyes. It was my mom's voice, calling me again to wake-up. My mom was like my alarm clock for school every day. She's always the one to wake me up.

Sunlight poured through the curtains, and I knew it was already morning. I checked my clock on the bedside table, and it read 7:00. Good. School starts at 8:30, so I have plenty of time.

I hopped out of bed and went into the shower. Fifteen minutes later I was done, and after I scrubbed my hair dry with the towel I went to my closet and grabbed my uniform. Since Goode was a private school we had a uniform, and because it was also a rich school, the uniform looked grand.

I slipped on my white long-sleeved polo shirt, and then I tucked it on my pants. I put on the blue necktie around my neck and fixed my collar. Afterwards, I threw on my burgundy suit. I don't really know what to call it, but it looked like a suit. It had lapels and the school's seal on the left side, right near the heart. After that, I put on my black shoes and went in front of the mirror.

Normally, I would introduce myself to you right now, but I already did that, so I'll continue talking about what I'm currently doing. Since my black hair was always messy, I didn't bother to try and tame it. I let it be. I don't care anyway; it's also one of the reasons that, not to brag or anything, girls in school go head over heels about me. What can I say? I'm normally good-looking.

I went into the kitchen and found Mom on the stove, frying pancakes. And not just any kind of pancakes, mind you –blue pancakes, my favorite. Don't ask why they're blue. I just love the color so much; it came to the point where I had to have blue food as well. I guess that's my sweet affliction.

After drowning three pancakes in blueberry syrup, I dug in. We had a small flat screen TV here on the kitchen, so I watched the news as I shoved food in my mouth.

"So," Mom said, turning to me, "today's the first day of school. Are you excited?"

"Not really." I shrugged, swallowing. "It's still the same as the past years, anyway, Mom. I get used to it."

"Honey, you're already on your senior year!" Mom said. "You're going to graduate. Aren't you excited about it?"

"Nope," I answered, wolfing down the last of my blue pancakes. I stood up and put my empty dish on the sink, and then I strode over to Mom and quickly kissed her cheek. "I'm gonna be late. Gotta go, Mom!" I ran upstairs and grabbed my backpack, and then I exited our apartment, shutting the door behind me. Paul went to Goode early, so I didn't have a ride. I hailed a cab instead.

Now, some students in Goode, whose life status are like mine, neither rich nor an heir but just someone who can afford studying in a prestigious school like Goode, would worry about going to school in a cab. But I'm not. Yes, I'll admit, I have quite a reputation in school: heartthrob (I don't know why I became one until now), popular swimmer, and athlete, and because of that people know me pretty well. They also know that I study in Goode because of Paul, and they accept me. No one bullies me just because I wasn't as rich as them.

I reached Goode ten minutes later (thanks a lot, traffic). As the cab stopped by the gates, I saw a shiny black limousine exit the other side of the gates. Huh. Believe it or not, even though most of the kids here are rich, no one ever uses a limousine to school. Sure, they use cool and expensive cars, but no one uses a limo. And I've never seen this kind of limo before. Maybe there's a new student.

I headed inside, and I got the usual greetings from the other students. Most of them were pretty busy already, and some were just chilling out, sitting on the grounds on groups or hanging out by the benches or the fountains. I took a turn when I heard someone call my name.

"Percy!" I turned around and saw my friends, Leo Valdez, Jason Grace, Frank Zhang and Nico di Angelo coming to me.

"Hey," I said, grinning as I fist-bumped with them. "What's up, guys?"

"Not much," Jason said. "But dude, can you believe it? We're freaking seniors!" Like what we usually do, we automatically emitted whoops and cheers, causing some of the students to turn their heads on our direction.

"We've got the same homeroom, man," Leo elbowed me, grinning like a maniac. "Too bad Sparky and Death Breath here aren't."

"Hey!" Nico and Jason both protested. I laughed. We always called Nico Death Breath while Jason Sparky. Their nicknames just amuse me.

"So," Leo said as we started walking to the main building, "how's your summer been?" I shrugged.

"It's okay," I said. "Life's still good."

"Oh hey, I heard we have a new transferee here," Jason said. "She's pretty rich. And very beautiful, according to some of the students who saw her."

"I saw a limo outside a while ago," I said. "Was it…?"

"Could be," Nico said. "Some students said that she got out from there." Oh gods, newest addition to the school for spoiled and loaded children. I hope whoever "she" is isn't a brat, like Drew Tanaka, Goode's umm… Queen B. Short for Queen Bitch. She always wears short clothes. Even her skirt was very short.

Speak of the devil; Drew came sauntering towards us, batting her fake eyelashes at _me._ Everybody knows she's been after me ever since freshman year and I kept rebuffing her. The girl wouldn't give up, though. Don't get me wrong; Drew's a very pretty girl, but she was just, well, I don't know, bitchy. And she bullies girls who are a threat to her reputation in school as the beauty queen. I have a friend, her name's Piper and she's Jason's girlfriend, who's also pretty. She happened to be Drew's half-sister, and Drew always tried to make her life miserable. Emphasis on tried to: somehow, Piper always made it alive.

Anyways, Drew came over to me and (wow, would you actually believe that) put a hand on my chest as she pushed herself to me. Leo, Jason, and Nico backed away, and they were holding back snickers. I shot them a look that said: _Get me outta here._

"Hi, Perce," Drew purred. "It's nice to see you again. How was your summer?"

"Pretty well," I replied in a bored voice. _Take the hint and get a life, _I wanted to say. But my mother raised me as a gentleman, so I kept my mouth shut.

"Did you miss me?" she asked, and I swear I wanted to gag.

"Uh, no," I said. "Umm, Drew, I need to go. I still have a lot of things to do."

"Call me," she said as Jason gave the signal and we started walking away. When we were far enough, I turned to her.

"No thanks," I called back. "My hands are pretty full. Bye Drew!" The guys started laughing after that.

"Dude," Leo said, "that was like, the hundredth time you turned her down. I'm telling you, that woman's persistent!"

"Yeah, you gotta find someone like her," Jason teased.

"Nah," I waved them off, "I don't have time for that stuff."

"Perce, you _never _have time for that stuff!" Leo said. "All you do is play, play, and play some more. Can't you see that almost every girl in school wants you? You must be crazy. You have got to like someone, at least once." At first I thought he was talking seriously, but then he added, "If I were in your position I'd be parading around the school and a bunch of girls who made a fans' club called Team Leo would be on my tail." I shook my head.

"I don't like anyone," I said, "And I'm not planning on liking anyone yet."

"You're crazy," Jason said, shaking his head. "You're supposed to like someone, considering you're already seventeen."

"I can like someone when I'm retired and had played every sport imaginable," I said, waving a hand. "Right now I gotta make sure I graduate." I saw the three of them roll their eyes, and then we proceeded to the office to get our schedules.


	3. Chapter 3

**And it's update time! Weeeee! Anyway, Bluecookies19 is here again to *insert choice of verb here* you with another chapter!**

**The busy days are over for me now, at least for a while, so I decided to update. Date of next update will be at the bottom. On with Chapter 3 and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: (I realize I'm too used to disclaimers to not put up one per chapter xD) I don't own PJO**

Chapter 3

Annabeth

"And when you turn that corner, you'll find the auditorium," Piper finished as we came to a stop in front of a fountain. She was giving me a tour of the school, and my amazement of this castle-like place grew. They have a football, baseball, and soccer field, and every field was really big. There's even an English garden, and that's where we are now.

"Thanks for the tour," I said gratefully. "If you didn't tell me about the place I would probably get lost, seeing this place is very big."

"You'd get used to it," Piper assured. "I've been studying in Goode for forever, and at first I'm like you: amazed at how big this place is. You'll get used to it in no time at all."

"Does everyone live in dormitories?" I asked as we started walking to the school halls. Piper had shown me my locker before, and I already placed my things in it. The first class would start in ten minutes.

"No," Piper said. "Not everyone. But there are some who do, like me and you. I wanted to live in a dormitory so I wouldn't be harassed by paparazzi every time I go out of my house." I remembered that all the students here are rich kids.

"So, what's your status?" Piper asked me. "I mean the reason-why-you-study-in-Goode status. You know; what makes you rich." My heartbeat quickened at her question. My mother had told me not to tell anyone I'm royalty, because they might be children or robbers. But then I remembered her saying that she chose Goode so I wouldn't have to worry about having those kinds of friends. She chose Goode because it was a school for wealthy people. So I wouldn't have to worry that Piper's a daughter of a thief. She didn't look like one, anyway, but you never know. A part of me tells me that it's safe to tell her, but another part says _not yet._ So I just shrugged.

"I guess I'm just rich," I said indifferently.

"Are you sure?" Piper said, though her tone didn't indicate that she was questioning me. She was just curious. "I mean, you gotta be something more than just 'rich.' You came out from a limo, after all, and no one uses that kind of car for everyday service."

"It's not an everyday service," I said. "But I assure you, I'm just rich. What about you?" I realized that we were talking how rich we were nonchalantly, as if talking about your wealth to someone was normal.

"My Dad's a superstar," Piper explained. "That's why a lot of his fans go after me as well. My Mom's a supermodel, and both of them earn a lot."

"Oh," was all I said. We both reached the main halls, and then I heard a voice call Piper's name. We both turned to see a girl running towards us. She had brown skin, curly brown hair, and surprisingly golden eyes. Pretty.

"Oh, Hazel," Piper said, smiling at the girl. "I want you to meet someone. This is Annabeth. She's a new transfer. Annabeth, this is Hazel, my best friend." Hazel smiled and held out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Hazel Levesque," she said as I shook her hand.

"Annabeth Chase," I said. "Pleased to meet you."

"To you as well," Hazel said. Then, she tilted her head to one side, as though she was thinking. "Annabeth, you kind of looked familiar." Okay, that worried me. Olympia was a famous kingdom, and so is their queen. Everybody knew there was a princess, but no one ever saw me go out. I always stayed inside the palace gates. I used to go out when I was still little, but now, not so much. My stylists buy my clothes for me, and I have everything I want in the palace. Sometimes I would go out to the city, but I would wear clothes that would make me fit in.

"I remind a lot of people of a lot of people." I shrugged.

"No, I think I saw you on TV," Hazel insisted. "Like, in that famous city? Olympia… I don't know, I'm not sure, but I think I saw you there." Piper chuckled.

"Hazel, you know how the students in Goode are. Maybe Annabeth's just famous, okay? Chill."

"Whatever," Hazel said, but she didn't look annoyed. I realized that between the three of us, I was the only one who wasn't wearing a uniform. Okay, so maybe I was wearing a pretty outfit, but I wanted to wear a uniform. I'm someone who wants to fit in, not to stand out.

The girl's uniform consisted of a white polo shirt with the normal collar, a khaki-colored skirt that reached the middle of the thighs, a blue necktie and a burgundy jacket/suit (I don't know what to call it) with lapels and the school logo at the left side of the chest. Then we had white socks and black shoes. The boy's uniform, as I observed, was the same, minus the skirt, of course. They wore khaki-colored pants and gray, black, or white socks. Our uniforms kind of looked like the ones on the TV show in Nickelodeon, the House of Anubis. Suddenly, I heard a buzzer ring. Piper and Hazel looked at each other, then to me.

"It's time for first classes," Piper explained. She looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry Annabeth, but we don't have the same homeroom. Can you find yours on your own?"

"I'll be fine," I assured her. "Umm… you guys go. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Annabeth!" The two girls called as they ran to the other direction. I sighed and walked the halls, which was beginning to grow emptier by the moment. I rummaged around my back pack for my schedule. Homeroom was on room 301, with Mr. Chiron Brunner. Oh well. I started walking again, searching for room 301.

I found it afterwards, after what seemed like five minutes. Oh, great. I'm late. It's just my first day and I've probably made an impression that says I'm always late. I made sure this was room 301, and then I knocked on the door. Taking a deep breath, I opened it.

"Wow" was the first thing that came to my mind. Even the classroom looked amazing. It still had the look of the typical high school classroom, but it looked even better. The walls were painted cream, and they were spotless and clean. An air-conditioner was suspended on one wall, and there were also silver ceiling fans hanging on the ceiling. The armchairs were all new, I think. Best of all, a ceiling-to-floor glass window covered an entire wall. Well, actually, the windows were the wall itself. We could see outside while in class.

I snapped back to attention when the man in front, Mr. Brunner, maybe, cleared his throat. Mr. Brunner had brown hair and wore a tweed jacket, and he was on a wheelchair. He had warm brown eyes and a kind smile.

"Umm, hi," I said, as I slowly made my way in front. "I'm Annabeth Chase. And I'm, uh, a new transfer?" Shit. I hate it when I get nervous. But I couldn't help it. I've never been in a regular school before, since I was home-schooled and only had tutors to teach me. But I'm pretty smart, actually, so I'm quite confident I'd handle the academics here pretty well.

"Ah, Ms. Chase," Mr. Brunner said. "I'm Chiron Brunner, your homeroom teacher. Welcome to Goode High." I scanned the classroom and found every pair of eye trained on me.

"Um, where should I sit?" I asked. "There's no place available."

"Actually, there is one, Ms. Chase," Mr. Brunner said. "Wouldn't you mind if I placed you on the back?"

"No, it's okay," I said. "Uh, where is it?"

"Over there," Mr. Brunner pointed to a chair next to the window (thank the gods), "you could sit next to Mr. Jackson." The boy who must have been Mr. Jackson, who was in the back, looked up when he heard his name. He was very good-looking, I'll give him that. He had black hair which was unkempt, although it seemed to emphasize his cute looks. When his stare landed on me, I saw that they were sea-green in color –I've never seen that eye color before, and I liked how it reminded me of the ocean. I lowered my gaze as I started walking towards him.

Luckily, I got the chair that was next to the glass wall. I put my bag down the floor and sat down, crossing my legs afterwards. Then I realized that I was sitting in a very proper position, so I uncrossed my legs and let my shoulders slouch a little bit, although it was hard since I was very used to sitting with my back straight and my legs crossed. The perks of being a princess.

Mr. Brunner started talking afterwards, and for once I became bored. I reached inside my bag and grabbed my sketchpad, and then I started drawing. You see, I want to become an architect someday, and I guess I have a good head start on that. I also really love drawing buildings. They help me when I'm bored or when I'm sad, or worried, or whatever.

In a few moments, I have already drawn the Eiffel Tower. I love Paris; I would want to go there someday and take a picture with the Eiffel Tower as the background, but sadly, I've never been to any other place except Olympia. I was always stuck inside the palace. But I would love to visit Greece as well. It's the number one place I wanted to go to ever since I was a kid.

Suddenly, I heard someone poke me on the side, and I turned to see the boy looking at me with his amazing green eyes.

"Hey," he whispered. "I'm Percy Jackson." I nodded, not really looking at him as I continued with my drawing. He was silent for a while, and then he said, "Aren't you gonna tell me your name?"

"Annabeth," I said distractedly. I was busy drawing the lines and this and that of my tower so it would be perfect. "Annabeth Chase."

"Nice name," I heard him mutter. Silence comes between us, and then he went back to talking to me again.

"So where are you from?" he asked. Normally, if other people were bugging me with these kinds of questions, I would snap at them, but I did not to Percy. I mean, he was different. He was just curious and friendly in a somewhat cute way. Wait, what? Did I just think that? _Snap out of it,_ I told myself furiously.

"San Francisco," I lied.

"Oh," Percy said. "I like Frisco. I mean, it's a really cool-" Suddenly, we heard Mr. Brunner clearing his throat very loudly. We both looked up to see him staring pointedly at us.

"I would advise you not to talk, Ms. Chase and Mr. Jackson," he said, and I looked down, blushing. First day of school and I'm already being reprimanded.

"Sorry," I heard Percy mumble. The buzzer rang three minutes later, and then everybody stood up and grabbed their things. I had math class after, at room 209 with Mrs. Dodds. Luckily, I found the room immediately and didn't have to be late. Something tells me that being late in Mrs. Dodds' class wouldn't be a good thing.

I entered the classroom, and it's just like our homeroom. I chose a seat next to the glass wall again, on the back. I settled there comfortably and waited for the class to start.

Pretty soon students started filing in. Mrs. Dodds came in afterwards, and she cleared her throat as she stepped on the platform.

"Good morning, students," she said in a scratchy voice. "Since today is the first day of school-" She was interrupted when the door opened, and guess who, Percy entered.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he said, "but I got stuck in the lobby. You know, first day of school and they're already having a pep rally." A couple of students chuckled, but Mrs. Dodds only narrowed her eyes at him.

"Detention, Mr. Jackson," she snarled. Percy just shrugged as if detention happened to him in a daily basis, and then he stared scanning the room for possible seats. Then his eyes met mine and I swear I saw a small smile on his lips. Then he made his way to the chair next to me and sat down.

"So we meet again," he said under his breath.

"Yeah," I replied casually. "Whatever."

"Some people call it destiny," Percy said, tapping his pencil on his armrest. I frowned at him.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said quickly, although I could see he was still wearing a smirk.

"Ms. Chase," I heard Mrs. Dodds call my name, and I turned to look at her. "Please stop talking to Mr. Jackson. You're still new so I would not give you a detention, but if I catch you talking to him again I would really get you in detention as well." I nodded, my face hot. Percy was silent for a while, and for once I thought he would stop bugging me.

I guess I was wrong.

"I wonder how Mrs. Dodd's became a Mrs." Percy said quietly. "I mean, who could the unlucky man be?"

"Shut up," I hissed. This boy's gonna get me in detention. I started to ignore him again, but he continued talking to me.

"No, seriously," he said, "why would someone marry her?" I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. _Count to ten, _I thought. _One. Two. Three…_

"Percy, please. Shut. Up." I grit my teeth and turned to him. "You're gonna get me in detention."

"Ms. Chase!" _Speak of the devil._ I looked up to see Mrs. Dodds, who was glaring at me now. "Detention. After school."

"But Mrs. Dodds," I protested. "I was just-"

"She's right, Mrs. Dodds," Percy piped up. What was he up to now? "It was me. I talked to her." Mrs. Dodds narrowed her eyes at him.

"You already got a detention earlier with me, Percy Jackson. I will make it two hours for you and one for Ms. Chase." I opened my mouth to protest again, but quickly decided against it. It's no use going against Mrs. Dodds, and besides, she might add me up another hour. And that's the last thing I would want.

Then I suddenly realized that I was going to be spending detention with Percy Jackson. Oh, gods. It's gonna be a long hour later.

**Review and have a nice day!**

**Next update: Thursday, September 18, 2014**

**-Bluecookies19**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO**

Chapter 4

Annabeth

I went to the "detention room" (which was just a normal classroom, really, according to Percy. I wouldn't doubt him, I mean, he'd been on detention several times already, so yeah, he knows a lot) after the end of the last period. I gave my bag to Piper so she could just bring it with her when she goes back to our dormitory, and she didn't have a problem with that.

I checked my watch as I stood outside the detention room. 5:45 in the afternoon. Okay, it's still good; I got only one hour and I'll be back in the dormitory by 6:45. I'd have to call Mom when I'm back, because I promised her I would.

Percy, though, isn't so lucky. I knew he wasn't living in a dormitory here, and he's got two hours. He'll go home at 7:45, and he'll have to wait, for, say, at least 5 minutes for a cab to come by. Then, assuming his house was ten minutes or more from here, he'll get home by eight. It's not so late, anyway, and I'm sure he's been in detention many times enough for his mom or whoever was taking care of him to get used to it.

I took a deep breath and raised my hand to knock on the door. Before my knuckles touched the wood, though, the door opened and Mrs. Dodds stared down at me.

"Ms. Chase," she said. "Good. You're not late. Come inside." She stepped out of the way and I entered the room. I took a seat next to the windows so I could see what's going on outside. I've never been to detention so I don't know what I'll do if I was, but I'm pretty sure it'd be boring. At least I could have something to keep me distracted as I wait for an hour to pass.

I looked outside and saw that the football field was in view. Players practiced as a bunch of cheerleaders did their own stuff. I watched as the sun set behind the mansion-like buildings, illuminating everything with a soft, warm glow.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and I turned to see Percy enter the room. His hair was still messy and his green eyes still dazzling (wait, what? Why did I just say that?). He was panting however, and judging by the fact that his clothes were a bit wind-blown, he was running all the way here.

"Mr. Jackson," Mrs. Dodds snapped, "you're late. As always."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Dodds," Percy said, "but I was a bit busy with arranging my sports matters. I had to run-"

"Whatever." Mrs. Dodds glared at him. "Sit down. Now, the both of you; stay here and be quiet. Ms. Chase, you got one hour and you, Mr. Jackson, two. I will be going now. Don't forget to lock the door when you leave, and don't try to escape." She glared at the both of us when she said that. "Good-bye." With that, she left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Percy sighed in relief after she got out. He walked over and sat down across from me on the same table (they didn't have armchairs here, just tables). Then, he reached for his bag and pulled out a bag of chips and a can of Coca-Cola. I stared at him in disbelief.

"Seriously?" I asked. "You brought food in detention?"

"What's wrong with that?" Percy asked back as he popped open the soda can. He took a sip and grinned. "I do this every time."

"You're crazy," I told him as he ripped the bag of chips open.

"Want some?" he asked, holding them out to me. "They're barbeque-flavored." I wrinkled my nose.

"No thanks," I said. "I don't eat junk. I'd prefer olives than chips, thank you." Percy shrugged and continued eating. Meanwhile, I looked outside the glass windows again. The clock ticked by and pretty soon the football players and cheerleaders went away. I checked the wall clock. It read 6:35. Good. Ten more minutes. I was still bored to death, though.

"Ugh," I groaned and buried my face in my hands. "I'm bored."

"Me too," Percy said. "But I'm used to it." He crumpled the empty plastic with his hands. Then he drank the last of his Coke, and he threw them all in the trashcan.

"So," Percy said, "have you ever been in detention before?"

"No," I said. "I'm home-schooled." He shrugged. Then, he looked up at me.

"I've got a question," he said, "and answer me honestly. Okay?"

"Okay," I said, because I've got nothing else to say.

"What makes you rich?" Percy asked. I almost choked out. Seriously? Why did everyone seem to ask me that question today? First Piper, then a couple students who tried to befriend me, now Percy? Sheesh.

"Honestly, why do you guys keep asking that question?" I asked. Percy shrugged again.

"I don't know," he said. "Maybe, the people who asked you just want to know if you're higher or lower than them in the life status."

"And what about you?" I said. "Do you want to know as well?"

"Nope," Percy replied. "I'm just plain curious."

"How about you?" I asked him, avoiding his question. "What makes _you_ rich?"

"I'm not rich," he said. "Not really. My stepdad's a teacher here, he teaches English, so I get to attend here. Besides, his pay's really well, so we can afford me studying here."

"Oh," was all I said. That must be why Percy didn't seem to have an air of superiority around him, unlike most of the other kids.

"And you," Percy said, "what about you?" Okay, I'm not planning on telling Percy anything, not really. I mean, we just met, and I'm pretty sure telling him I'm a princess _now_ isn't a smart thing. But something tells me that I can trust him. I don't know why, but my mouth spew out words before I can stop myself.

"Can you keep a secret?" I asked. Percy frowned a little, but he nodded.

"Okay," he said. "I swear to the gods that I wouldn't tell your secret to anyone else, or may thunder come from the sky and hit me with a lightning strike." Okay, that was a very corny oath, but I appreciated the fact that at least he was trying to prove how sincere he was of keeping my secret, or he'll be toast, literally. And now that I already started, I'm gonna finish talking.

"I'm rich," I began, "because I'm…"

"You're what?" Percy asked, leaning closer. I tried not to notice how his face was close to mine and how his scent smelled of the sea. I instinctively leaned back, and Percy did, too, the tips of his ears a bit red.

"I'm a princess," I blurt out.

If Percy still had his Coke with him, I'm sure he would have spit it out on me.

"Are you bullshitting me?" he asked incredulously. Now, it would have been fine, but the royal side of my brain (did that even exist? I don't know, whatever) that didn't tolerate cussing stepped in.

"Language," I snapped. Percy rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure you can understand English," he said, smirking. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him.

"_Hell_ yes," I said dryly. "_Damn,_ I could _fucking_ understand the _motherfucking _words that's coming from your _fucking _mouth, you little piece of _shit._" Despite the fact that I just called him "little piece of shit," Percy just chuckled.

"See?" he said. "You could understand English. And you can even cuss!"

"Whatever," I said, rolling my eyes at him.

"But seriously," Percy said, in a more serious tone. "Are you really a princess?"

"Well, no shit, Sherlock," I said. "Yes, I'm a princess."

"But how?" He asked. "I mean, where did you come from? Why didn't I see you on TV? And how on earth were you able to attend a normal high school without your bodyguards or your servants? I mean, you're living in a dormitory, after all."

"Well," I said, "first of all, I come from the kingdom of Olympia."

"That's a famous place," Percy said. Then his eyebrows furrowed. "Wait, didn't you tell me you were from San Francisco?!" I rolled my eyes at him.

"I know," I replied. "_Anyway, _the reason why I'm not seen on TV is because I never go out of the palace. And the reason why I'm here even without bodyguards or servants is because I begged my mother to let me live my last year as a normal teenager."

"What, are you dying next year?" Percy asked.

"No, silly," I replied, smiling a little. Then I felt it disappear when I remembered the real reason why I'm here. "It's because… well, even though I'm a princess from the 21st century, I still have to obey traditions."

"Like what?" I decided that telling Percy I was a princess was enough. I didn't need to tell him the reason why I was here. That unhappy thought should remain only to me and Thalia... for the time being, I guess.

"Nothing," I said, shaking my head. "It's nothing."

"I know it's something," Percy said, his green eyes bearing into mine. I took in how they looked so much like the sea. "But, hey, no pressure. It's okay; you don't have to tell me. We just met, and… I think telling me you're a princess is enough… for now." Wow. That was the first time Percy ever said something serious and deep to me.

"Something tells me you're a very trustworthy person," I said, smiling. Percy shrugged.

"There are people like that," he said. "I have a lot of friends, and they may not look much, but they're amazing and very trustworthy." I sighed and looked down.

"You're very lucky to have friends," I said softly.

"Don't you?" Percy asked, his voice gentle.

"No," I said. "I mean, all my life, I'd been confined inside the palace. But, I have a best friend and she's amazing, but sometimes I wonder what'll happen if we had more friends." We were both silent for a while. Then, Percy grinned.

"I have an idea," he said. "You could meet my gang. I'm sure they'll like you very much. You could sit with us at lunch."

"Really?" I asked, my hopes rising up. "Thanks."

"No problem," Percy said, his green eyes shining. "Glad to help."

We sat there for a while, and I was aware that we were just looking at each other. I know it's embarrassing, but somehow I just couldn't bring myself to look away.

Our trance was interrupted when my phone rang. I snapped away from my daze the same time Percy did, and I saw that his cheeks were a bit pink.

I checked my phone. It was my alarm ringing, because I had set it to ring when 6:45 comes. I looked up at Percy apologetically.

"That was my alarm," I said. "I set it to ring once my hour's over." Percy chuckled and ran one hand across his hair.

"You're one weird girl," he said, smiling. "Actually, you're one weird princess." I grinned as I stood up.

"At least I'm a pretty, weird princess," I said. "I gotta go. Bye, Percy." With that, I walked over to the door and exited. I was pretty sure that just before I closed the door behind me, I heard Percy mutter something that indicated he agreed with what I just said.

**How are you guys liking this story so far? Tell me what you think of this chapter! Review and have a nice day, I'll see you next weeeeeeeeeeekkkk!**

**-Bluecookies19**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO**

Chapter 5

Percy

I walked through the halls as I made my way to the cafeteria. It was already lunch time, and since I promised Annabeth that she could sit with me and the gang during lunch, I guess she would be there as well.

I remembered our talk yesterday during detention. She had told me that she was a princess… and no one else knew that. It's kind of flattering to me that she told me her identity even though we just met. She trusted me. And maybe we could be friends.

I don't know why, but royals keep finding their ways into my life. I already have two best friends who are royalty; first was Jason. He was actually a prince, and he told no one about it. He had a sister, but like him, she didn't want to acknowledge the fact that she was royalty. I admire the fact that the both of them (even though I still didn't meet Jason's sister) are very down-to-earth people.

Then there was Nico. He was Jason's cousin. Nico's dad was a duke, so maybe Jason's dad was older and was king.

Anyway, I arrived at the cafeteria and saw that it was already packed with students. No problem. Have I mentioned that the cafeteria was really, like, literally a classy restaurant of a 5-star hotel? Yep. Just imagine a very, very big room with glass walls and air-conditioners. There were at least seven flat-screen TV's for the students to watch movies on while they ate. There were some glass walls with water fountains dividing a part of the room, and even the tables were classy. Miniature crystal chandeliers that shone warm light. Green plants near the glass wall fountains. Food booth with _a lot_ of delicious food. Yeah. Life's really good at Goode.

"Percy!" I turned to see Leo calling me. He was sitting on a table with the rest of my friends already, and they were all waving and smiling up at me. I grinned and started walking to them. I passed a table where one of my close friends, Grover Underwood, sat with his girlfriend Juniper Green. They both smiled at me and I smiled back.

"Hey, guys," I greeted my friends as I set my back pack down on an empty chair next to Jason, who had his arm around Piper's shoulder. I noticed that the couples in our group were really sweet today. Frank and Hazel sat next to each other, and they were both blushing and smiling as they talked. Well, actually, we only have two couples in our group of seven –Frank and Hazel, and Jason and Piper. Nico, Leo, and I were all single. And I didn't really care.

"Hey, Percy," Jason said, grinning at me. "Come on and sit."

"Where's Annabeth?" I asked. I looked through the mass of students to get a glimpse of a blond head walking anywhere.

"Ooh, just got detention with the girl and already looking for her?" Leo whistled, wiggling his eyebrows teasingly. "I gotta say, Perce, that's pretty fast." I rolled my eyes and sat down.

"I told her she could sit with us at lunch, yesterday," I explained, shooting Leo a glare. "Just because I'm looking for her it doesn't mean I have a crush on her." Leo raised his hands in surrender.

"Never said anything like that," he said, grinning.

"Wait," Jason interrupted, frowning a little, "did you say Annabeth? That's-"

"I'm here!" We all looked up and saw Annabeth coming towards us. Today she had her perfect blonde curls down, and she was wearing a pink wool sweater with a pair of black leggings. She was also wearing cream-colored booties, which were no doubt expensive and branded. It was raining outside, so that must be why she was wearing those clothes. Her outfit was simple, but I gotta say, she looked good in it. Oh well. She was a princess, after all. My smile returned when I remembered that I was the first person to know that she was one.

"Annabeth," I smiled at her. "Hey. I-" I realized that Jason and her were staring at each other. And then Annabeth's face broke out on a smile and her eyes widened.

"Jason?" she asked incredulously. She laughed as Jason and she hugged. I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed when they did. Were they… dating? No. Piper was Jason's girlfriend. But how did they know each other? Okay, that was confusing.

And then it hit me. Jason was a royal. Annabeth was a royal. They might be friends, or maybe even related.

"I'm so glad to see you!" Jason gasped as Annabeth pulled away. "Annie, you've grown taller over the years." He chuckled and ruffled her hair. It dawned on me that they were not really dating. Their relationship seemed to be as just close friends, the way he ruffled her hair. Just then, I heard another voice call Jason's name. I turned to see a tall black-haired girl with blue eyes and freckles coming towards us. She was wearing all black, which set students to look her way as she passed them. Jason's face brightened up even more when he saw her.

"Thalia?" Both of them laughed as Thalia crushed him in a hug. "Wow, I never thought I'd see you here."

"Okay, what's going on?" Leo finally asked. Jason pulled away from Thalia and smiled at all of us.

"Guys, remember when I said that I had a sister?" he said. Everyone nodded. "So, here she is. Thalia Grace." Everyone nodded again and greeted Thalia.

"What about the other girl?" Hazel asked.

"This is Annabeth," Jason and I both said at the same time. I cleared my throat and let Jason introduce her instead, since he knew her first.

"Anyway," Jason continued, "she's Thalia's best friend and my close friend. We used to play together when we were kids, the three of us." I noticed that Jason didn't mention Annabeth was a princess. Maybe he knew she wouldn't want anyone to know. But everyone in our gang knew Jason and Nico were royalty. Maybe Annabeth would tell them soon enough, when she'll be close with all of us as well.

Annabeth sat down next to me and we ate lunch. My friends were all curious about Thalia and Annabeth (especially the latter), and they kept asking questions. They stayed away from the typical "life status" question, though. I told you; my friends were great.

Pretty soon the lunch break ended, and Annabeth and Thalia were friends with my friends. I was happy about that. Then the bell for first afternoon period buzzed, and all students scattered out to go to their respective classes.

"What's your next class?" I asked as I jogged to catch up with Annabeth. She checked out her schedule.

"I have History," she said. She looked up at me. "Why'd you ask?"

"Nothing," I said. "I just wanted to know. Maybe we would have the same classes." Annabeth laughed lightly and checked out my schedule. I had English class.

"Well, don't feel so bad," Annabeth said, giving me my schedule back. "We have gym class together at last period, anyway."

"Great," I said, grinning. "I'll see you later, then."

"Okay," Annabeth said. "Oh, and Percy?"

"What?" I stopped before I could proceed to my class. Annabeth smiled at me.

"Thank you," she said. "For letting me make friends with your friends." I smiled back.

"No problem," I said. "Umm… I gotta go. I'll see you at gym class?"

"See you at gym class," Annabeth confirmed, smiling. We both parted our ways as I headed to my class and she headed to her own.

~oOo~

My footsteps echoed around the halls as slowly, all students went to their respective classes. I had gym now, as the last period, and I promised Annabeth that I would be sitting next to her, just in case she would get out of place, since she didn't know anyone in school except for me and my friends.

I ran to the gym just in time as the warning bell rang. And oh, did I mention that our gym was this very big and grand place? All the bleachers were freshly painted sea-green, and the basketball ring was re-painted again. The floors were polished, and I my shoes made squeaking sounds as I made my way to where the rest of the students were.

I immediately spotted Annabeth standing amongst the crowd. She really stood out, not just because she was the only one not wearing uniform, but also because she looked really noticeable. And I meant it the good way. Come on, is there a bad thing about being noticeable? What I'm trying to say is, she looked beautiful (of course. She was a princess, after all) and that was eye-catching.

Our gym teacher, Coach Hedge, was still talking when I ran over and stopped next to Annabeth. I noticed that she wasn't wearing heels, but she was still tall. I was taller though; she only reached up a little above my shoulder.

"Hey," I whispered. Annabeth looked up at me with her gray eyes and smiled.

"Hi," she said softly.

"What's he talking about?" I craned my neck to look at Coach Hedge, who was making hand gestures, his baseball bat right beside him.

"Something about this varsity sports," Annabeth replied. "About the athletes or something?"

"Oh." I nodded. I knew about that. Every year, Goode assigns tryouts for students who are interested in joining the varsity. I'm part of it; I'm a swimmer, and I have always been ever since I entered here. I'm actually good at swimming; I always won, and I felt comfortable around water. My being a swimmer was also one of the reasons why I became one of Goode's most popular guys.

"I swim," I told Annabeth. "I'm part of the varsity ever since I was in seventh grade."

"That's nice," Annabeth said. "I'm not much of a swimmer, though."

"What sport do you play?" I asked, ignoring the other students and Coach Hedge and the fact that we were in gym class and we were supposed to be listening.

"A lot," Annabeth said, although she didn't make it sound like she was boasting. "But I think I'd like to join volleyball."

"That's great," I said, smiling (for what reason, I don't know). "Half of all the players graduated last year; you'd make a great addition, if you're really that good." Annabeth chuckled lightly.

"Trust me; I am."

"Okay, cupcakes," Coach Hedge bellowed, swinging his baseball bat across his shoulder, "go grab your uniforms and change. We'll have dodge ball today."

He didn't hear the groans coming from my classmates. Oh boy. This is going to be _fun_.

~oOo~

Five minutes later, everybody emerged from the changing rooms and into the gym, where several orange balls lay scattered on the floor, while more were piled in two big baskets. I re-tied my new Nike shoes, which were blue, of course. Then I headed after one of my friends, Travis Stoll.

"Oh, snap." Travis whistled, shaking his head, although there was a small smirk on his lips. "Why do we have to have hot classmates?" I turned to see who he was looking at, and I realized that the girls were coming from the locker rooms. Actually, not all of them were hot, but our P.E. uniforms showed some skin for the girls. For the boys, we just have to wear these black running shorts and a burgundy shirt with the school seal. The girls wear the same shirt, too, but the shorts they were wearing were tight and short.

Some guys stared at Drew Tanaka, who of course, had to wear thick make-up even when in gym class. Yuck. There's no denying though, that Drew looked pretty. She walked with her long legs and swayed her hips more than necessary across the room and in front of her posse, who were like her as well; girls with thick make-up and tight clothing.

Then I heard a few boys nudge each other while grinning, and I looked to where they were looking. And then I felt a piece of me jump and another one boil.

Annabeth was walking from the locker room, and _they_ were staring at _her._ I can't blame them, though; she looked really good, but she didn't look like Drew at all –in this outfit, Annabeth looked like she was ready for game, not something else. She had tied her hair in a neat ponytail, and I noticed that she was wearing the same Nike shoes like mine.

What irked me, though, was the way the boys looked at her. Annabeth seemed oblivious to it as she walked towards me. They stared at her up and down, up and down, in a way that made me want to march to them and sock their faces, but I just couldn't, because I might get in trouble again.

Finally, Annabeth stopped beside me and prodded me with her elbow.

"What are you looking at?" she asked. I realized I was glaring at the boys who were looking at her a while ago. Now that they saw her stop beside me, they averted their gazes to somewhere else. Good.

I shook my head. "Nothing," I lied. Annabeth shrugged, and we joined the others as Coach Hedge started to group us for dodge ball.

I'll admit I felt a little bit disappointed when I found at that Annabeth and I weren't on the same team. I don't know; maybe because I just want to make her feel welcome, that she had a friend by her side even on a game.

The fact that some of the guys who were staring at her a while ago were her teammates also annoyed me. It caused me to hit them with the balls stronger than necessary.

Annabeth was good. She was still in the game even when almost all of her teammates were already hit. Finally, only three of each team remained. On my team, there was me, Charles Beckendorf, and Drew (would you even believe that?). On the opposing side were Annabeth, Jake Mason, and Clarisse LaRue. Oh, boy. This is going to be tough.

After we had the signal, we started hitting each other. I aimed at Clarisse, because a) I don't know, we have always hated each other, b) Beckendorf already turned on Jake and c) because I just couldn't bring myself to hit Annabeth with a ball. Clarisse took the opportunity of breaking my nose, anyway, so we were on the battle.

Finally, I hit Clarisse on the jaw and she was out. Beckendorf hit Jake the same time the latter did, and they were both out. It was now just me, Annabeth, and Drew.

I figured that Drew was aiming on Annabeth but she couldn't hit her, so Annabeth stayed in. But how could she have not hit Drew? Oh, I know. Because Drew would take cover to me or Beckendorf, and we could dodge pretty well.

I also figured that I was tired and I wanted to end the game, and to do so Annabeth had to be hit. Although I wouldn't want to do it, I didn't trust Drew to do it as well. The way she looked at Annabeth unhinged me.

"Let's end this," I told Annabeth. She smirked.

"Sure," she said back. She positioned herself at a throwing stance, and with that she let the ball fly to me.

I immediately ducked, but then I noticed that Drew was holding a ball with her. And she was aiming it at Annabeth. Okay, that's fine, but she was aiming at Annabeth's face. And the balls were pretty hard.

Before I could stop her, Drew hurled the ball onto Annabeth, who didn't notice. She realized it the second before the ball hit her hard on the temple. I saw Annabeth's gray eyes roll upward and her eyelids closed. I ran just in time to catch her as she fell.

I heard several gasps, and Coach Hedge came running towards us.

"Jackson, what happened?" he asked.

"Drew hit her on the head," I said, cutting a glare to Drew's direction. She just pretended to smile sheepishly.

"My bad," she said. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her.

"Take her to the clinic," Coach Hedge said. "Call 911!"

"I'll take her there," I said, rolling my eyes at him. With that, I stood up and lifted Annabeth into my arms. Then I started to journey out of the gym and into the clinic.

** Hey guuuuyyyysss! So I went to this camp last Friday, and I just had so much fun with my friends. I swear, we were infinite :) ^_^ Anyway, how'd you like this chapter? Tell me what you think, and please review. I didn't get any the last chapter, and honestly, it kind of set me down. You do realize that reviews are like fuel to me, right?**

** Review, Follow, Favorite, and have a nice day!**

**-Bluecookies19**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO**

Chapter 6

Annabeth

I woke up with a start. Slowly, I opened my eyes, and I saw that I was in a different room, not in my dorm with Piper. The walls were white, even the bed. Gently, I tried to sit up.

"Oohhh." I clutched my head, which was hurting _so _much. I shut my eyes and waited for a while, and when the pain felt bearable enough, I looked around my surroundings. I was in a clinic, I figured out. There were other neatly made beds aside from the one I was lying on, and each bed was divided from the other with a white curtain. The air condition was on, and I felt really cold.

The window was next to me, and I parted the curtain so I could look outside. The sky was dark blue in color, so it might be early evening. I could see the stars outside.

So what happened? I tried to put things together. All I remembered was that I was playing dodge ball at gym class, and then… that Drew girl hit me on the head with the ball. Then I blacked out, and somebody must have brought me here in the clinic.

I swung my legs from the bed and slowly stood up. I winced as my bare feet touched the cold floor. I was still in my P.E. uniform, but I didn't know where my shoes and socks went. Oh well, I guess I'm gonna have to find them later.

I exited the room and found myself in a grand-looking lobby. I never though a clinic could be this big and beautiful. But I'm used to things like this, anyway, so the elegant places here didn't amaze me too much.

I saw a mirror on the wall, and I walked toward it. I stopped in front of the mirror and checked myself. So far, nothing was too serious, at least my nose wasn't broken or anything. But when I looked closer, I saw a dark bruise on my left temple. I brought my hand to the spot and touched it softly. I flinched at the touch.

"Oh, good, you're awake." I turned around to see a blonde girl with blue eyes in her twenties, I think, smiling up at me. She was wearing all white, and she was holding a clipboard. Maybe she was the nurse in here.

"Uh, hi?" I said awkwardly. "I'm Annabeth."

"Emily," the girl's eyes twinkled warmly as she continued to smile at me. "How are you feeling, Annabeth?"

"Like my head got run over by a truck," I replied. Emily chuckled and bid me to follow her. I did, and she started rummaging for medicine, I think.

"So, what happened?" I asked as I sat down on one of the chairs.

"You got hit by a ball during gym class, according to the person who brought you here," Emily explained as she opened a drawer.

"Who brought me here, by the way?" I asked. Emily found a bottle inside her drawer and pulled it out.

"It was Percy Jackson, I think," she said. "I mean, the boy's pretty famous in Goode, so I would know him. He carried you along the way. Such a caring boyfriend you got, sweetie." I felt my cheeks heat up.

"Oh, no, he's not my boyfriend," I said. "I just met him."

"Is that so?" Emily asked, raising an eyebrow. "Alright. Here. Take this, it'll make your head feel better in no time." She handed me a glass of water and a small blue pill. I took it and put the pill in my mouth. Then I washed it down with gulps of water.

"Thanks," I said as I handed the glass back to her. "Um, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Emily replied as she started filing out some papers.

"Have you seen my shoes?" I asked. "And my socks?"

"Percy took them with him," Emily said. "He said he's going to bring it to you tomorrow morning."

"Oh," I said. I would have to walk back to the dormitory barefoot, then. "Okay. Um, I gotta go. Thanks for the medicine."

"Bye, Annabeth!" Emily called as I made my way outside. "And take care of yourself, okay?" I smiled and waved at her, and then I shut the door behind me.

The evening air was chilly, and I rubbed my hands together to warm them. Then, I set out to the dormitories.

~oOo~

Piper was frantic when I got there.

She paced back and forth, scolded me, and even cried a little as I sat down on my bed and got my phone from my nightstand.

"I was so worried about you!" She said as she threw her hands on the air. "Where were you?"

"Calm down, Pipes," I said, rolling my eyes as I texted my mom. Oh gods, I would be in trouble if I didn't let her know about this. _Call me later,_ I wrote. Then I pressed send.

"I was just in the clinic," I explained to Piper.

"Why were you there?" Piper asked. I shrugged.

"Injury at gym class," I said. "We had dodge ball and Drew hit me on the head. Hard. So I passed out and Percy brought me to the clinic."

"Wait," Piper's eyes narrowed, "Drew's the reason why you got injured?" I nodded.

"That little-" I cut her off before she could say something bad. I forgot to mention that they were stepsisters, and they loathed each other.

"Piper, it's okay," I said. "Just forget about it." Piper took a deep breath.

"Fine," she said finally. Then suddenly, she grinned. "Wait, did you just say that Percy brought you to the clinic?" I shrugged and walked over to the fridge. I opened it and got a bottle of juice and the plate of leftover chicken salad that Piper bought yesterday.

"Yeah," I said. "Why?"

"How did he bring you there?"

"He carried me, I guess," I said as I speared a piece of cold chicken with my fork. "How else could he do it? He wouldn't have dragged me, anyway."

"How sweet of him!" Piper squealed. I rolled my eyes and took a sip of the juice.

"I think he was just trying to help," I said. "There's nothing sweet about that."

"Yeah, but Percy _never _does things like that for a girl!" Piper insisted.

"You know what, Pipes?" I said. "You should just. Shut. Up." Piper rolled her eyes but she continued to giggle. I rolled my eyes again at her and finished my cold dinner.

~oOo~

I waited for Percy near the school gates later that evening. I had called him, asking him to drive up here so I can get my shoes back. I know, it's stupid, since I can just get it tomorrow, but after Mom called me and I told her what happened, she insisted that I get my shoes back _immediately_. She didn't even tell me to thank Percy for bringing me to the clinic.

I also wanted to thank Percy, anyway. I could thank him tomorrow, but he's already going, so why not now? It was still seven in the evening, anyway, and there were a lot of students milling around the school campus. The curfew was at eleven, but we could have lights out anytime we want, as long as we're inside our dorms already before eleven. Heck, we can even have lights out at six!

Percy was having dinner when I called him, he said. I could tell that he was eating when he was talking to me, judging by the fact that his voice was muffled. He didn't protest when I said I needed him to come over instantly. He just said, "Okay, hang on, I'll be right there," and called to someone who I assumed was his mother, asking her for the car keys. Then his mom replied, and Percy had a short rant about him being "old and responsible enough to drive Paul's (whoever he was, I don't know) Prius." And then finally, I think his mother gave him the keys and he told me, "Okay, Annabeth. I'll be there in five minutes."

So here I am now, playing Dumb Ways to Die in my phone while I waited for him under the bright light of a lamppost. A few moments later, I heard a car's engine and I turned to see an old orange truck coming. The guard saw the truck and opened up the gates.

The truck parked in front of me. The driver's window rolled down, and I saw Percy grinning at me.

"Hi," he said as he got out. "I brought you your shoes. And oh, I also had my mom wash your socks, too. You know, you have fragrant feet. Is that because you're a princess?"

"I thought you were gonna drive a Prius," I said, eyeing his truck and ignoring his comment about my feet. "Why are you driving this? And hey, I'm not criticizing it or anything." Percy raised an eyebrow and patted the hood of his truck.

"You mean this old girl?" he asked. "Well, I got her for forever anyway. It was Paul's."

"Who's Paul?" I asked.

"My stepdad," Percy said, leaning on his truck. "My mom and he married when I was fifteen."

"Where's your dad?" I asked curiously, and I instantly regretted it when I did. I could see the sadness in Percy's green eyes.

"He's gone," he said quietly. "Lost at sea. I was still a baby."

"I'm sorry," I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. "It's –it's okay." Percy looked up at me and grinned.

"Yeah, it is," he said, his cheery mood back. "Uh, here are your shoes." He handed me my pair of blue Nike shoes.

"Thanks," I said as I took them in my hands.

"No problem," Percy replied. I shifted my weight onto one side.

"I also want to thank you for bringing me to the clinic," I said. "If you didn't I'd probably wouldn't be better in the head."

"It's no big deal," Percy said, waving his hand dismissively. "I'd do it all the time."

"So you mean you're looking forward for balls on my head?" I teased. "Come on. You can't be that cruel." Percy chuckled.

"I mean it the other way," he said. Then, he checked his watch and his eyes widened a little.

"Oh crap," he muttered. Then, he turned back to me. "Listen, Annabeth, I gotta go. I've got a movie night tonight with Grover." I smiled.

"Sure," I said. "Tell me what movie you're watching, so I could maybe download it and watch it next time."

"You wanna watch gore?" Percy asked. When he saw my eyes widen, he grinned. 'I'm just kidding. When I have movie nights with Grover, we _always _watch stuff about nature. He's such an environmentalist."

"Okay," I said. "Um, good night, Percy."

"Good night, Annabeth," Percy replied, smiling, and then he got inside his truck. I waved at him and he waved at me, and I watched his truck the whole time until it disappeared from my sight.

**Review, Follow, Favorite, and have a nice day!**

**-Bluecookies19**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO**

Chapter 7

Annabeth

"And Coach Hedge was like, whoa!" Piper exclaimed, finishing her story with a dramatic hand gesture. "And that's how I entered. It ended with a smash."

"That's nice," I said honestly as I fit on the tight burgundy volleyball jersey shirt. "Now I get why Jason must like you so much." Piper blushed.

"I'm not much a tennis expert," she said. I rolled my eyes and continued to tease her. We were in the girl's locker room, changing. Today's the first day of sports training, and I got pulled off study hall for volleyball training. By the way, I got in! Yesterday I attended tryouts and after a lucky service and a few rebounds, Coach Hedge decided I've got potential and let me in. I was very happy.

After I slipped my shoes on (the same pair which was similar to Percy's), I dumped my orange duffel bag inside one of the lockers and headed outside.

The gym was already packed with all the athletes, ranging from the soccer players to the basketball players. Coach Hedge was talking to everyone. I joined my teammates in the corner. There were six of us in the team. There was Rachel Elizabeth Dare. She had red hair and bright green eyes, and she had freckles all over her cheeks. Rachel was a very nice girl. She spilled to me that she loved art so much.

Then there was Calypso Gadwall. She was our team captain. Calypso looked really beautiful, and she was also very nice. She had this golden hair and amber eyes. She had boys swooning over her, based on observation.

Next was Zoe Nightshade. Zoe was like the older sister in our team –I had grown to know them in a small matter of time –and she always gave us wise advice. She was also very serious when it comes to game.

And then we had Reyna Avila-Ramirez Arellano. Reyna had these black eyes and black hair, and she carried herself with so much confidence, it was almost intimidating. I admired her for that. It was almost as though she was a royal herself.

Lastly, we had Silena Beauregard. Silena was the beauty queen among the six of us, no doubt (although I gotta admit, every single one of us did look beautiful). She was also Piper's and Drew's half-sister (whaatt? No offense to whoever their mom is, but seriously? She had three seventeen-to-eighteen-year old daughters to three different men? That's quite something), and apparently, she also despised the latter. Now I know that Drew must really be a bad person, for two of her sisters to hate her that much.

I tried to ignore some of the looks a few of the quarterbacks were giving us volleyball players, particularly me. Damn. Why did our uniform have to be this skimpy and tight and short? Furthermore, who would have guessed that Goode had perverts? Oh well, I guess every school has them.

I inched backward and took cover behind Zoe, who was taller than me. Zoe seemed to notice my discomfort and she glared at the boys. They cowered under her stare and turned their attention to Coach Hedge instead.

Meanwhile, I felt funny, as though someone was staring at the back of my head and burning a hole through it. Hoping it wasn't another perverted player, I turned my head to look at whoever was –or might be –staring at me.

It surely and thankfully wasn't one of the quarterbacks. I knew that as soon as I saw green eyes staring back at mine. It was Percy. He was standing alongside the rest of the swimmers, and he was wearing swim trunks and a gray shirt. He smirked when he saw me, and it reminded me so much of one scene of one of my favorite books, _The Fault In Our Stars_ (you should read that, by the way, if you still haven't.), where the lead character, Hazel Grace Lancaster, met this really hot and handsome guy, Augustus Waters. He was staring at her nonstop, and I decided to do to Percy what Hazel did to Augustus –I stared back.

It wasn't creepy, how Percy held his stare. I didn't know what got into him that he decided to try this shit, but I wasn't going to back down. I added brow-raising to my glaring to make me look more intimidating. At least I hope I did.

Finally, a thousand years later (LOL, it never really lasted for a minute, actually) our staring contest died down when Percy's eyes flicker to another direction. When his eyes went back to me, I smirked smugly and, just like Hazel Grace Lancaster, I raised my eyebrows that rubbed him right in that cute face of his, _I win._

But Percy didn't seem to mind the fact that I won. He was still staring at the same direction as before, an unreadable expression on his face as his green eyes seemed to change a darker tone a bit. I traced what he was looking at, and I finally got it. The same quarterbacks were looking at me, and I for once felt grateful to Percy for glaring at them. They finally looked away, just as Coach Hedge finished talking.

"Okay, cupcakes," he yelled, "let's start training!"

~oOo~

I was gulping down the last of my Gatorade outside the girl's locker room when I heard someone call my name. I turned to see an unfamiliar curly-haired coming towards me. She was small, and she had freckles everywhere. When she smiled at me, I saw that her teeth were adorned with braces.

"Uh, hi. You're Annabeth Chase, right?" She asked me nervously. I nodded.

"Yeah," I said. "What is it?"

"Could you please give this book to Percy Jackson?" she said in a small voice. "Mr. Adamson said he left it during Study Hall." I almost rolled my eyes as I suppressed a smile. Oh, Percy, once a Seaweed Brain, always a Seaweed Brain. He can't keep leaving stuff around like a boss.

"Sure." I smiled at the girl as I took the book from her small hands. I checked my watch, which read four twenty in the afternoon. It's still early. "Where is he?"

"I think he's at the pool," the girl replied squeakily.

"Thank you," I said kindly to the girl, who seemed to quiver in front of me. Seriously? She nodded her head slightly to acknowledge my thanks and then she walked away. I started heading to the pools, wherever they are. As I walked, my eyes landed to the book that was in my hands. It was a paperback of one of those Star Wars books. Seriously, Percy? He reads Star Wars during Study Hall?

I also noticed that some of the pages were dog-eared, so maybe he was bookmarking his progress. The question, however, was the amount of pages. It was just about nine to ten. I wouldn't judge, but was Percy a slow-reader or something? Not that I'm trying to rub it in his face if he was, though. I could understand him if he was. I mean, my case was worse than his being a slow-reader! I was dyslexic, you see, so it was such a struggle for me when it comes to reading. I had been better at it, now, though; my years of being cooped up in a big mansion were spent reading different books, so now I could read like a normal reader.

Pretty soon I arrived at the pool. It was inside this huge closed building. As I entered, I saw that there were bleachers everywhere, surrounding the big blue swimming pool in the center of the room. I also saw guys –they were the swimmers, obviously –doing laps in the pool. A tall guy wearing a shirt and swimming trunks stood at the edge of the pool with a clipboard and a whistle around his neck. I think he was the coach.

I suddenly felt self-conscious; I was the only girl in a place full of shirtless guys in Speedo swimwear. I was wearing a big maroon shirt that's one of Goode's items, so I didn't mind much. I was wearing the shorts from volleyball, though, and they were all skimpy and tight.

I pulled the hem of my shirt down as I jogged up to the stairs and settled down on a bleacher. I spotted Percy along the other swimmers. His black hair was wet and was scattered all over his forehead, and his green eyes were full of excitement and enthusiasm. He must really love swimming.

I tried to read the Star Wars book as I waited for Percy, but I couldn't quite concentrate on the words. Come on. Who am I kidding? A dozen hot boys were right in front of me. Maybe not close enough for me to admire, but still.

After about half an hour or so, the coach blew his whistle, signaling the end of the session. All boys gathered in front of him and after some talking and head-nodding, the swimmers went to the changing room. I took this as my cue and I stood up and started walking down. The coach spotted me, and he quirked his eyebrows inquisitively.

"Tryout?" he asked. "Sorry, Miss. Goode only has boys for the swim team. Besides, tryouts are over."

"Oh, no, I'm not gonna tryout," I said, chuckling a little. "I'm here for Percy Jackson."

"You're Jackson's girlfriend?" The coach asked, a teasing grin on his face. I felt my face grow hot.

"No!" I said quickly. I cleared my throat. "No. We're just friends." The coach shrugged.

"If you say so," he said. Then, with that, he nodded at me and started to walk away. I stood there, book in hand and duffel bag on shoulder as I waited for Percy. I stayed out of the edge of the pool, because believe it or not, I was afraid of tumbling down the water. Okay, this might seem crazy, but even though the palace had an Olympic-sized pool, I didn't know how to swim. Fate made it clear when I almost drowned one time when I stupidly tried to do a back float.

The other swimmers started to file out. Some of them stopped and whistled at me, while some just ignored me. And Percy still hasn't come out. What was taking him so long?

Finally, I saw him come out of the changing room. He was now wearing black running shorts and a blue shirt. Percy looked a little surprised when he saw me, but then he grinned after a while.

"Annabeth?" he said as he walked to me. "What are you doing here?"

"I…" I can't seem to find the right words. Was I distracted, or something? "I came to bring you your book." There, I finally let it out. I held the book up for evidence. Percy rolled his eyes at me and smirked.

"You, Annabeth," he said smugly, "are such a bad liar. I know you came here just to see me shirtless." My mouth dropped open. Was he serious? Okay, let's say I didn't mind even one bit seeing his shirtless state, but I didn't come here for that sole reason. I was just being kind and came to give him his stupid Star Wars book back to him.

"I'm just kidding," Percy said, grinning when he saw my face. He took the book from my hands. "So I'm guessing Coach asked you if you wanted to enter the swim team."

"Yeah," I said. "Why?" Percy shrugged.

"Nothing," he said. "Coach's always like that. But if you had the chance, would you do tryouts for swim team?" I gulped nervously as I imagined myself in the middle of a very deep, blue pool. I shook my head.

"No," I said, unfortunately _too _quickly. I could see a small, mischievous twinkle in Percy's sea-green eyes.

"Really?" Percy asked, crossing his arms. "Do you actually _know _how to swim, Annabeth?" The color must have drained from my face by then.

"What kind of question is that?" I squeaked. "O –of course."

"Really?" Percy asked again, smirking. He was advancing slowly on me, and I was backing. "Are you sure about that?" Before I could answer, I realized his plan a millisecond before my foot slipped on the wet edge of the pool. I let out a scream as I felt myself fall and the cold water engulfed me.

The first thing that came to my mind as I felt my body sink was, _this isn't real. _Of course that was the first thing; I was a book nerd and I immediately thought of the Divergent book. That was the tangible fact about me, people; my life's in peril and I'm thinking about a book.

Well anyway, I felt strong arms wrap around me as a body pressed against mine, and then, along with the person, I shot up into the surface.

I coughed and spluttered out water as I looked at the grinning face of Percy Jackson.

I tried to ignore the fact that we were so close and how his green eyes looked even more dazzling up-close (they somehow resembled… I don't know, seaweed?) as I clung to his neck for dear life.

Finally, my panic subsided enough for me to glare at him and to spit out a few bad –maybe, I hope –words.

"What," I began, slapping him hard on the shoulder for good measure, "the actual fuck did you just do to me?"

"You said you knew how to swim!" Percy protested, laughing. He was still keeping us afloat, and I didn't dare to strangle him, because, well, he was.

"I lied, okay?" I snapped. "Now bring me back to the edge." My fall was a long way off. Somehow, I actually made it to the middle of the pool. Percy chuckled.

"So you don't know how to swim," he said. "Poor you."

"Percy!" I whined. "_Take me to the edge. Now._" Maybe I was glaring at him, because Percy obliged. He took the pleasure of worrying me, however; he swam slowly (and he even used the added weight, a.k.a. me for a lame excuse for his ceremonial slow-swimming) and feigned to sink from time to time, causing me to scream and cling to him even more (I think he enjoyed that, though. Jerk.).

Finally, I was seated at the edge of the pool with the towel Percy gave me around my shoulders. It was really cold and I was shivering. Darn you, Percy. He took my duffel bag and slung it across his shoulder and helped me up. I continued to glare at him as we went out of the pool house.

"What?" Percy asked, his face a mixture of defiance and amusement.

"You are such a Seaweed Brain!" I cried out in frustration, jamming my index finger at his chest. "Now I'm all wet and cold and you are just so _mean._" Percy chuckled.

"Seaweed Brain?" he asked. "Where did that come from?" I blushed and looked down.

"Your eyes kinda remind me of seaweed," I admitted, my voice small. Percy laughed again.

"You're so silly, Wise Girl," he replied. My eyebrows rose.

"Where the heck did that nickname come from?" I asked. "And did you know that calling me silly and a Wise Girl at the same time is actually an oxymoron?"

"See, that's actually why I call you Wise Girl, Wise Girl," Percy said, grinning. "Besides, I'm sure that calling me Seaweed Brain is another substitute of calling me silly. And I'm not offended, so don't give me that look. Anyway, I figured that if my nickname is supposed to be silly, yours should be the opposite. So BAM, your nickname is created."

I shook my head as we entered the dorms. I just realized that Percy had walked with me to my dorm. Wow, was he actually being a gentleman? Just kidding. Somehow, it's quite obvious that he was.

Finally, we reached my door and Percy handed me my duffel bag. I rummaged for my card inside as Percy waited. Finally, I got it, but I didn't swipe it yet. I turned to Percy.

"Thanks," he said before I could say something. I raised an eyebrow.

"For what?" I asked curiously. Percy's cheeks tinted a light, but noticeable enough pink.

"For today," he said. "Er, for the time. And for returning me my book." I shrugged.

"No problem," I said. Then, awkwardly, I said, "I gotta go…" Percy nodded and grinned.

"Okay," he said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Wise Girl."

"I'll see you tomorrow too, Seaweed Brain," I said, grinning at him. "Bye."

"Bye, Annabeth." I swiped the card as Percy walked away, and I saw him entering the elevator before I shut the door in front of me.

** Oh hey there guys! How'd you like this chapter? Tell me what you think about it... and I know it's a bit cheesy, but I wanted to add a smidgen of Percabeth in this chapter...**

** And holy shit, guys, Blood of Olympus comes out tomorrow! I mean, like, what? Can I have a book rant for now?**

** I mean, I don't know what to say. I'm like, excited, because finally, we're gonna read the last book, and I'm also sad because it's the last book. Can you talk about the struggle of being a fangirl? *sigh* Do you guys think someone's gonna die? I hope not. Well, actually, okay, I'm expecting someone to die, but please, Rick Riordan, not Leo. And definitely not Percy and Annabeth.**

** Tell me your theories of the book... (I'm pretty sure I'm not gonna get the book tomorrow. Maybe the week after its publication date. I sure hope so.)**

** Review, Follow, Favorite, and have a nice day!**

**-Bluecookies19**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO**

Chapter 8

Percy

As much as I hated going to school on Saturdays, I knew that today would have to be different. I would have to face the fact that I would have to go to school this Saturday, or else, no grades on our Home Economics subject, where we broach the topic of gardening.

_Gardening. _Can you actually believe that? I knew gardening is unisex, but the word's approach for me is that it's for girls or women. The fuss with flowers, plants, all those stuff, are for women, who are talented and delicate enough to handle small and fragile green living things.

And so, our Home Economics teacher, Miss Thompson, decided that we would be planting vegetables on one of the school gardens this Saturday. And of course, since I was failing miserably on most of my subjects, I knew I had to attend this one, even if I have to pass a couple hours of sleeping in.

I thought about my classmates who lived in the dormitories. They are so lucky. They wouldn't have to wait for a stupid cab or walk a few blocks to get to school. I wanted to live in a dormitory, but a) I had my own house and b) I didn't know what would happen to me or my mom if I wasn't with her.

I drove my old truck to school today, and I had Leo and Jason howling Green Day at the backseat, while Nico sat shotgun with his headphones on. On the back of the truck we had extra clothes, because I was sure that we were gonna sweat a lot (today we had hot weather) after gardening.

Miss Thompson had us all gathered in front of the school gardens (the gardens different from the English ones). There were plots already, so all we had to do now was plant the vegetables.

We were all required to wear comfortable clothes, and so I chose to wear a simple dark-blue shirt, jeans, and my Vans. I packed an extra shirt on my bag, along with a towel and a bottle of water. As I stopped in front of the crowd to look for my friends, I saw that most guys were wearing the same outfit as mine. Some girls took the chance of showing of skin, so they wore shorts and tank tops. Okay, a guy like me should find girls wearing those clothes hot, but in all honesty, it grossed me out. Those girls don't look bad, but I just can't get why they can't wear longer shorts and t-shirts.

I saw Thalia among the girls. She was wearing all black (what else is new?); a black long-sleeved shirt (despite the hot temperature), jogging pants, and combat boots. I seriously _adored _Thalia's fashion sense.

The girl next to her was familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Even if she was a far distance from me, I could tell that she really was pretty. She was tall, and she was wearing a cap over her brown curls. She was wearing a gray V-neck shirt, shorts, and sneakers. She somehow reminded me of Annabeth.

Actually, where is Annabeth? I searched for her over the crowds, but I couldn't see her blonde head. Where was she? She didn't have an excuse to be absent, especially since she lived in the dormitories, after all.

I was so busy trying to look for her that I didn't notice someone stop next to me.

"Hi." It was a girl. And it was a familiar voice. I turned my head to see the pretty girl Thalia was with a while ago.

"Oh, hey," I said, smiling down at her. I couldn't quite see her face because of her cap.

"It's really hot, isn't it?" she asked, fanning herself with her hand. I nodded distractedly. I was trying to look for Annabeth again.

"Looking for someone?" the girl asked.

"Yeah," I said. "Um, hey, did you see this tall pretty blonde with gray eyes when you came here?" To my surprise, the girl chuckled (again, in a very familiar way).

"I never thought you would think I'm pretty," she said. "Nor would I ever imagine you were looking for me." I stared at the girl, confused, until she grinned and pulled her cap off. Her long brown curls tumbled upon her shoulders, and I could see her face clearly now; her gray eyes and her mischievous smile.

"Annabeth?" I gaped at her. The girl –Annabeth –laughed and nodded.

"You didn't recognize me?" she asked.

"Of course not!" I exclaimed. "You –you have brown hair!" Annabeth grinned and fingered a strand.

"I dyed it last night," she explained. "Just for fun. Thalia bought hair dyes from Wal-Mart."

"Well you definitely look different," I said, "but you look pretty." She didn't even blush.

"I'm gonna dye it back to its natural color anyway, so don't get used to it," she said.

"You look good as a brunette," I told her, grinning. "You kind of look like Lucy Hale, only she doesn't have gray eyes."

"That's cool, but I don't look like Lucy Hale," Annabeth replied. "Lucy Hale looks like _me. _See the difference, Seaweed Brain?"

"Whatever you say, Wise Girl," I said, rolling my eyes at her. Annabeth was always like this: she didn't want to be the less in both. In this case, she wanted to be the one who's imitated, not the one imitating. She's weird that way.

We were all on our knees in no time at all. We dug, wiped sweat from our foreheads, planted seeds, fanned ourselves, dug again, wiped sweat, and so on. I was sweating like a pig by the time we were done and had already watered the soil and the newly-planted seeds.

I wasn't surprised when most of the girls immediately went to wash their hands at the faucet after our planting, even though the most dirt that they had were just specks of mud and bits of grass.

"Eek!" Drew Tanaka squealed as she washed her hands and arms. "My designer shoes! Screw this stupid mud!"

"Ugh," Her friend, Stacey Williams, agreed with a disgusted look. "Oh, my god. Why do we have to experience this torture?" She wiped furiously at her pink blazer with a scented wet wipe. These girls. They knew we were going gardening, and they still used their silly and expensive designer shoes.

Only Annabeth and Thalia didn't complain. They were even laughing, throwing mud at each other. Annabeth was sitting on the ground, while Thalia was standing, both of them in fits of laughter. Then, Thalia stopped throwing mud to go to the faucet, and Annabeth remained sitting on the ground, wiping her arms.

I grinned and walked over to her. I was all sooty and dirty, maybe, but right now I also didn't care. I skimmed my fingers on the wet soil near the garden plots before I stopped next to Annabeth.

"Hey, Wise Girl," I said cheerfully. Before she could turn her head, I wiped my fingers on her cheek, and then I laughed and sat down. Annabeth glared at me.

"Seaweed. Brain," she said. "You are so going to regret wiping mud on my face." With that, she ran her hand over my _whole _face. I felt cool, wet, soil cover me from forehead to chin. Annabeth burst into laughter.

"Oh, my gods, Percy!" She said, giggling. "I think this is Instagram-worthy." She reached for her phone, but I stopped her by grabbing at her hands.

"Don't you dare," I said, but I was also laughing.

"Or maybe even Facebook?" Annabeth said, still groping her phone. "I still have to make an account, though."

"Wise Girl, stop it, okay?" I said. Annabeth grinned and out her phone down.

"Fine, whatever," she said. "Oh, gods. Let's get cleaned up." With a groan, I stood up, and then I helped her up as well. We both went to the faucets, and pretty soon we ended up having a water fight. It attracted Thalia, and then she joined the two of us. And then it attracted more people, and in a few moments, everyone was having a water fight, whether they liked it or not. Somebody (I don't know who) grabbed the hose and sprayed it all around, drenching the forty or so of us students with cool, refreshing water.

The sounds of laughter mixed with Ms. Thompson's panicked cries echoed all over Goode.

~oOo~

Leo and I changed in Jason's dorm room (he shared it with this nerdy junior named Elliot) after the gardening. After I pulled a fresh shirt over my head, I grabbed my back pack and car keys.

"You going already, Perce?" Jason asked. I shrugged.

"It's almost dinner time, anyway," I said. "Maybe I'll stop by at Times Square."

"Here," he tossed me a bottle of Coke. It had my name on it. I grinned and twisted the cap off.

"Thanks," I said. "Hey, do you think they have Annabeth on bottles?" Jason shrugged.

"Maybe," he said. "But I doubt it. They'd likely spell it as _Annabelle. _Anyway, I looked for Piper, but no can do."

"Love," I heard Leo said as he emerged from the bathroom. His curly hair was damp. "Tsk, tsk. Are you sure you don't wanna stop by your Annabeth's dorm first, Perce?" I almost choked on my Coke. _My _Annabeth?

"What?" I spluttered out. "What the hell are you talking about, Leo?"

"Dude, you wanted to get Annabeth a Coke with her name on it," he said. "That's a first."

"I just asked Jason is he thought they might have her name. I never said I wanted to get her some. Maybe I'll even ask if they have Leo, Frank, or Hazel in their Cokes."

"I'm so touched." Leo grinned and opened the fridge. He grabbed a Coke as well. He stared at it in disgust.

"_Tracy,_" he read out loud. "For fudge's sake. Jason, why the hell do you have a Share-A-Coke with my ex's name on it?"

"Tracy Fray never became your girlfriend, Valdez," Jason said.

"Well, ex-crush," Leo corrected himself. "Okay. Anyway. Jason, why the hell do you have a Share-A-Coke with my ex-crush's name on it?"

"Tracy Fray _is _still your crush, Leo," Jason said. Leo feigned a horrified expression.

"No!" he gasped. "How did you know?"

"Piper bought a bunch of bottles of Coke," Jason explained. "She didn't realize they were the ones with names and stuff."

"Well, names or not, I gotta go," I said, shouldering my pack. "I'll see you guys later."

"Say hello to Annabeth and Piper for us!" Jason called.

"Will do!" I called back as I shut the door. I had time to hear Leo speaking to Jason in a girl's voice, "Oh, my god. Guys these days are so hot. Maybe that's why people ignore Leo Valdez. Sheesh! I don't like Tracy Fray anymore, Sparky."

I walked outside the boy's dorms and into the cool air of the early evening. Twilights are one of my favorite times of the day. It makes me feel peaceful.

I passed the girl's dorms, and I saw that some of the girls were out. A bunch of pretty senior girls were playing volleyball on the front of their building, while some of them giggled and gossiped.

I saw Annabeth sitting on the stairs of the porch. She was concentrated on her phone, her eyebrows furrowed. She looked cute.

I don't know why, but my feet kinda immediately brought me to her. Annabeth looked up from her phone and smiled at me.

"Hi, Seaweed Brain," she said. "Came to visit me?" I shrugged and sat down next to her.

"I was hoping we could have another water fight," I said. Annabeth grinned.

"Maybe next time." We were both quiet for a while, just staring at the girls happily shouting while playing volleyball.

"You died your hair back," I said softly, looking back at Annabeth. It was true. It was now back to its natural color, only it was dirty blonde for now, not the usual golden tinge.

"Mom would kill me if she knew about it," Annabeth smiled when she said it. Suddenly, her phone rang, and she stood up. She mouthed _wait_ to me, and I nodded.

I watched Annabeth as she went a distance away from me and the other people. Her eyebrows scrunched together and she bit on her lip, nodding. A moment later, she just nodded and said something like, "Okay, Mom. Okay. I love you too. Bye." After the call, Annabeth sighed and blew a strand of blonde hair from her face.

"Hey," I said. "Your Mom?" Annabeth nodded.

"Yeah," she said glumly. "Kingdom matters."

"Oh," I said, because I had nothing else to say. I didn't know anything about kingdoms and such. "Okay."

"Listen, Percy, I gotta go." Annabeth bit on her lip. "I'll see you on Monday?"

"Okay," I said. "Um. I'll see you on Monday." Annabeth said nothing, just nodded a little. Then she ran upstairs and disappeared from my sight.

**Oh hey there guyysss! How'd you like this chapter? Tell me what you think about it!**

**Answers for the reviewers who asked questions:**

** TheDarkKnight1991: I've never watched the Truman show, but I Googled it up. I think the difference bwtween Divergent and the show is that Tris (and the others) know they're being watched while Truman didn't?**

** ahjegqdfvxgu : Cool username, by the way, honestly :). I know this is a little late, but yes, I am the one who wrote the All You/We Need is Love stories.**

**And this had been a very, very, busy week for me. Last week I had exams, and then I was really depressed because of some stuff happening. I've been through a lot these past few days, but I'm still tryna be happy. And I hope you review because that'll make me really happy :)**

**And HOLY SHIT (sorry for the language) I got the Blood of Olympus guys! ^_^ I am so happy. I'm holding the book in my left hand now, literally, while I'm typing with my right index finger. I know. I'm weird.**** Anyway, hope no one posts spoilers if you already it...**

**Sorry for the kinda long author's note :)**

**Review, Follow, Favorite, and have a nice day!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO**

Chapter 9

Annabeth

_Summer. _That was all I was currently thinking of right now. Now I know what you might be thinking: why summer? Well, I know it's crazy, since it's still the start of the last week of September, but… oh, well. Let me tell you the story of how I kept thinking about summer.

We all know the reason I'm in here, right? Right. Because I'm gonna get married on my 18th birthday, which is in July, which is in summer. So now, you might be thinking, why the fudge am I thinking about summer when that'll probably doomsday for me. But hey, there are several ways of thinking about summer, in my defense. Maybe I'm thinking about summer and I'm dreading it. Or maybe I'm also thinking about it like I'm excited. In my case, it's the latter.

Well, let me finish telling you the story. I'm excited about summer (not the same excitement where I want the months to speed up just so summer's already here. I'm just looking forward to it.) because –wait for it –I'm still not gonna get married!

And yeah, I'm such a loser because that's still not gonna change my fate. I'm gonna get married anyway, so the victory is just temporary. I'm still gonna end up on what I'm destined to end up at, only postponed. But I'm still happy to know that at least, I get more months to love happily.

I knew all about this when Mom called me a while ago. She said she and King Hermes had decided to postpone it so that at least I can adjust. They'd get me married next September. Oh, joy. At least, doomsday's still far, far, away.

The best thing is that… I can stay here for the whole summer! Like, the entire summer. I can spend my birthday in here, in the city, where there had to be no stupid celebration for my birthday. Just me, my friends, and well, my birthday.

And that's the end of the story of how I started to think about summer. It may have made me happy, yes, but there's also this thing. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but I knew things would never change, anyway. They're still the same, whether my wedding is postponed or not. Besides, time flies fast. It's already October. So, yeah, eleven months more, and BOOM, I'm hitched and probably suicidal.

But I'm not gonna think about that right now. I'm still trying to work on my Math homework while dealing with Piper's booming speakers blasting out "Wasted."

"I like us better when we're wasted…" Piper sang so out-of-tune (I don't know if it was on purpose or what), I had to crack a smile. But it vanished when I looked at the unsolved problems on my notebook.

"Piper," I said, sighing, "Would you please turn it down? I'm trying to concentrate on this Math homework."

"Annabeth, it's Saturday," Piper said, turning the volume down a little bit. "Give yourself a break."

"Piper, I can't," I said. "I mean, I have more work to do."

"We just went gardening a while ago," Piper reasoned out. "Aren't you tired?" I was tired.

"No," I lied. "I just…" But the thought of making homework seemed already tiring to me. And that's a first, because I never tire on making homework. "Okay, fine. Don't tune the music down. I'm just gonna chill, then."

"I've a better idea." Piper grinned and shut the music off. "Do you wanna have a sleepover party? I can call Thalia and Hazel from the next room."

"Uh, no. Go back to your dancing, Pipes. I'm gonna go to bed."

~oOo~

Sundays back at Olympia usually meant grocery. Although I'm not the one doing that back home, I'm gonna be this time, since I don't have anyone else to do it, and I also want to explore the city.

I woke up at 8 in the morning. As I made my way to the bathroom, I saw Piper lying on her stomach on her bed, her eyes shut closed. I suspected that she might have slept last night. After she turned the speakers off, I was lying on my bed already, eyes closed but still awake. Piper had told me that she was going to Jason's (the boys dorms were just a few blocks from the girl's) and will be back.

Anyway, I showered and changed into a pair of shorts, a plain gray V-neck shirt, and sneakers. I let my hair down and got my phone and slipped it in my pocket. I left Piper a note taped to the fridge, and I went outside our dorms.

The sun was shining really bright and I could smell the scent of damp, freshly-trimmed grass. Students, girls and boys, were doing their own stuff outside the sun. Some boys were playing Frisbee. Some girls sat on the benches, reading or messing with their iPads. I forgot to tell you that Goode's dorms were very nice. We had everything in here.

I smiled back at some of the girls who waved at me. As I neared the gate, I saw Jason cleaning his car. A bucket was on the ground, and he was wet with sweat and water. He looked up at me and grinned, and I smiled and waved at him.

I waited for a cab outside the school gates. As I did, I checked my phone. Five missed calls from Thalia last night, eight messages from Percy, and a missed call from Mom. I opened the messages from Percy.

_**10:00 p.m.**_

_Hi, Wise Girl :)_

_**10:02 p.m.**_

_I wanna ask you, do we have homework?_

_**10:05 p.m.**_

_Probably not. What are you doing?_

_**10:07 p.m.**_

_You realize you're ignoring me, don't you?_

_**10:10 p.m.**_

_You're not replying. It's scaring me._

_**10:15 p.m.**_

_Annabeth?_

_**10:17 p.m.**_

_You're probably asleep. Are you?_

_**10:20 p.m.**_

_Good night, Wise Girl :)_

I smiled as I read the train of messages. I was sleeping when he texted, because I was just so exhausted because of the gardening. I typed a quick text to explain to him, but I wasn't able to text anymore. Fudge.

I saw a cab and I stopped it. The old driver smiled kindly at me as I entered the backseat.

"Morning, miss," he said cheerfully. "Where are we?"

"Walmart," I said. The driver shrugged and stepped on the gas. I took the time looking outside the window as we drove to the city. New York definitely was a concrete jungle. Towering buildings, bright lights (even in the morning), busy streets, busy people. City life. Olympia may have looked like this, but it was never this busy.

I paid the driver after I got out of the cab. I stood outside Walmart, and then I soon went inside. I navigated myself to the grocery section, and then I started, well, grocery shopping.

I went to the first aisle, checking out the item of my list whenever I put them in my cart. I bought food not only for me and Piper, but also for Thalia, because I knew that she would never go grocery shopping. Hazel was her roommate, and I'm sure she's nice enough to go grocery shopping for the both of them, (Piper and I took turns in grocery shopping. This time, it's my turn) but, I mean, that's embarrassing. Thalia wouldn't be embarrassed when it comes to me, so I'm gonna save her ass. Again.

I was looking for these spicy cup noodles that Piper kept asking me to buy in the noodle section. When I saw it, I grinned and triumphantly plucked four cups and put them into my cup. After checking "Piper's stupid noodles" off my list, I moved on to the next aisle. But before I could turn another corridor, I heard a crash –the sound of cans falling to the floor, followed by a string of curses and a very audible, "fugging cans and their shit."

I frowned at the rudeness of whoever was talking. Slowly, I wheeled my cart to the next aisle, where I heard the sound. And guess who I found?

Standing in front of the shelves, holding two cans of tomato sauce in each hand, was Percy. He was wearing a gray shirt, jeans, and a dark jacket with a hoodie. He looked like he had just rolled out of bed, because his bedhead was very messy (although it made him look cute).

"Stupid cans," he grumbled as he started to pick them up from the floor and into the shelves. Halfway through, he stopped to examine a can and then rolled his eyes in disgust. "Tomatoes," Percy muttered. "I should have known. They're dumber than corn kernels." That didn't make sense to me, but I said,

"Percy?" Percy turned to look at me. He looked surprised, and then he just smiled a little.

"Annabeth," he said. "Hi. What are you doing in here?" I rolled my eyes at him.

"Grocery shopping, obviously," I said, and Percy blushed. I laughed. "So, why are tomatoes dumber than corn kernels?"

"What?" Percy asked, going even redder. "Um, I do not know. I just kind of said that after I dropped them."

"I see," I said, although I did not really see it, and I was just trying to stifle a growing laughter inside of me. I've never seen Percy blush before, and normally, he would be described as a hot, good-looking guy, but with his cheeks and ears red, I'll say he was cute.

"Hey, did you get my messages?" Percy asked. I nodded, remembering all of his words. "Why didn't you reply?" Was it just me, or did I hear disappointment in his voice? Or maybe even hurt?

"I was sleeping already," I explained. "Got so tired by the gardening."

"Oh," was all Percy said. "Um, okay."

"Yeah," I said. We were both quiet, with him rubbing the back of his neck and me biting my lower lip. Shit, why the fuck are we so awkward?

"So," Percy said, the same time I said, "okay." I cleared my throat. I'm really confused with this dead-air situation.

"So, um, let's pay?" I suggested. Percy shrugged, clearly relieved that I said that. Together, we walked to the counter, with Percy rambling about his Mom sending him here to buy tomato sauce for her spaghetti. The sudden awkwardness a while ago was a surprise for me, but now I'm glad it's gone.

After paying our separate purchases, Percy and I exited Walmart, talking and laughing all the way. We stopped at the parking lot, where his truck was.

"So, I gotta go," I said, smiling at him. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"I'll see you tomorrow." Percy's smile was beautiful; it was a mix of sarcasm and amusement, and although it screamed troublemaker to me, I knew it was genuine. I nodded and smiled again at him, and then I turned to wait for a cab. Percy was loading his grocery inside the truck.

I spotted a cab, but before I could raise my arm to hail it, Percy said, "Wise Girl, why don't you ride with me? I'll drive you to Goode."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "I mean, your Mom sent you here to buy groceries for her, after all. Maybe she's waiting for you." Percy shrugged.

"Nah," he said. "Don't worry about that. She's fine with that."

"Are you sure?" I asked again.

"Yes," Percy said, rolling his eyes. "Come on." So I sat shotgun next to him, and we continued talking as we headed to Goode. Pretty soon, we arrived there, and I got out of the truck and hauled my items with me.

"Thanks for the ride, Percy," I said. Percy grinned.

"No problem," he said. "Bye, Wise Girl. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, Seaweed Brain," I said and waved at him. He smiled and waved back, and as his truck sped off with him, I went inside the school gates and made my way into the dorms.

**Oh hey there guys. Sorry for posting this late, but my wifi was... ah, not really being cooperative the past few days... This chapter isn't really a filler, but I hope you didn't get bored reading it :)**

** And guyssss! I finished The Blood of Olympus last week, and I swear, the book was just so freaking awesome. I'm gonna have a little book talk now, and if you still haven't read BoO, skip it because it will surely contain spoilers.**

** Book talk! Okay, I really loved BoO. I think it;s my favorite book of the HoO series, which sucks because it's the last one. *sigh* I still can't accept the fact that after years of fun, torture, and pure happiness, it's over and we won't be waiting for another year for another Percy Jackson book :( There's still Magnus Chase and The Gods of Asgard, though, but I doubt the seven will be there.**

** I loved the book, but I kind of expected it to be like The Last Olympian (since it's also the last book), where majority of the book was about the war and its preparations. In BoO they went in quests and the real war was short, but I really loved the electrifying moments. It had adrenaline coursing through my veins every. Freaking. Chapter.**

** Anyway, I'm also really glad that none of the Seven died! When Octavian did, though, I'm sorry if I sound cruel, but I actually laughed. Good riddance. And that stupid demigod dog he had, Bryce Lawrence. The asshole literally had me steaming, and when Nico killed him, I was like, "Ha! Suck that, loser!"**

** I found it funny too that the Blood of Olympus was actually Percy's nosebleed xD Oh, har, har. I expected it to be shed out of a really fatal wound and I already braced myself for it, but thankfully it was just a nosebleed. Just. A. Nosebleed.**

** And Nico and Will Solace! I gotta say, I didn't expect that to happen. I kind of thought Reyna and Nico would have a chance together, since they got so close in their adventures. I think I'm gonna ship it ;)**

** But the Percabeth content, though :( there was so little, but the one real Percabeth fluff was really worth the wait. I literally squealed at the scene when they were at the Acropolis and they were at the temple of Poseidon and Athena and Percy kissed Annabeth in front of Piper and said, "The rivalry ends here. I love you, Wise Girl."  
**

** My fangirl feels exploded.**

** I also cried at Chapter LV (I dunno Roman numerals, but you can't blame me for that, 'cause I'm Greek, not Roman :P) I hated the ending, but I was glad Leo was alive. I hated the ending because it felt like there was more. There _should_** **be more. It's not meant to end!**

** But I seriously loved all the books, from The Lightning Thief to The Blood of Olympus :') Rick Riordan, thank you for everything.**

** Okay! Sorry for the long author's note. Tell me what you thought of this chapter and the book, and please, please, please review, because I need inspiration and you're my inspiration.**

** Review, Follow, Favorite, and have a nice day!**

** -Bluecookies19**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO**

Chapter 10

Annabeth

I entered the dorm room to see Piper and Hazel in front of the mirror, both giggling and holding dresses on them. On Piper's bed lay a couple dresses, ranging from the colors of black and brown to purple, pink, green, and even (for my own opinion) a nasty shade of orange.

The two of them must have seen me enter from the reflection of the mirror; they both turned and greeted me simultaneously with huge girly grins on their faces.

"Hi guys," I said, putting my bag down on the floor beside my bed. "Um, what's with the dresses?"

"Oh, Annabeth," Piper said excitedly, flouncing over to me and taking my hands. "I'm so excited!"

"For what?" I asked, still confused.

"Homecoming's this weekend!" Hazel said, her golden eyes bright with enthusiasm.

"Homecoming?" I have heard about Homecoming before. Americans celebrated it annually, sometimes at the end of September or the start of October. But since I was home-schooled in a _palace,_ I never attended Homecoming before.

"Yes, Annie," Piper sighed dramatically. "And of course there's the dance…" Piper let go of my hand to go to her bed. She picked up a dress and eyed it.

"Bad," she muttered. Beside me, Hazel whispered, "Piper's usually not like this. She's not really all girly… but sometimes when it comes to stuff like this, she goes all loco. Probably inherited it from her mom."

"I heard that, Haze," Piper said, although she was still smiling. She turned to me. "Hey, Annabeth, do you have your dress already?"

"No?" I said uncertainly. "Well… not really. I didn't bring any in here when I arrived." Hazel beamed.

"Then we could take you shopping!" she said. "And we could take Thalia, too! Oh, it would be really fun!" Actually, I don't think taking Thalia shopping would be a good idea. The last time we went shopping –that was on Olympia a year ago, where we snuck out of the palace –she almost strangled the pretty saleslady who was assisting me while I fit on a dress (for what reason, I don't know).

I decided not to bring that up.

"Okay," I said. "When can we go shopping?"

"Tomorrow would be great," Piper said.

"Hey, did you know the Stolls are throwing a party tonight?" Hazel asked.

"Someone mentioned a party?" We all turned to see Thalia enter the room with a smile plastered on her face. "Because I just happened to be free tonight."

"Thalia!" Piper and Hazel said together. They both went to her and started to explain to her about the party, the Homecoming, yadda, yadda, yadda.

I didn't pay attention to them because suddenly my phone rang. I fished it out of my pocket and checked the caller ID. It was Mom. _Why is she calling me?_

"Guys," I said, "I'm just gonna go outside. I'll be back in a sec." The girls didn't seem to hear me. Thalia was declining Piper's and Hazel's offer of a shopping, and both of them were trying to persuade her that the salesladies here in New York were nicer than those of Olympia. Shrugging, I went outside to the corridor and closed the door behind me.

"Hi, Mom," I said as soon as I pressed accept. "What's up?"

"Annabeth," Mom replied. "How are you?" Okay, this was confusing. Mom wasn't supposed to be calling me. Well, she has her daily check on me, calling me every evening. But that's at seven p.m. _sharp._ It's still four in this Sunday afternoon. So there might be another reason why she's calling me.

"I'm fine," I said. "Mom, what is it?"

"Can't I say hi to my daughter?"

"I know it's something else." I sighed. "Mom, just blurt it out. I have other things to do."

"Fine, fine," Mom said. "Well, just promise you won't get mad at me." Uh-oh. This isn't good.

"It depends on the situation," I said slowly. "Why?"

"You do remember Luke, right?" Mom said. I rolled my eyes, even though she can't see me.

"Of course." I was surprised of the bitterness that was in my voice when I spoke. "How could I have forgotten him? He's my fiancé."

"Well," Mom said, hesitating. I sighed.

"Just go on with it," I said, trying to keep the impatience away from my voice.

"He is going to visit you," Mom said. "And he is on his way already."

"WHAT?" I was glad I was alone in the corridor now. I clamped my hand over my mouth immediately. "Wait, what?"

"I said, he is on his way to visit you there," Mom said. "I assume he will arrive tomorrow."

"What?" I said again. "Mom, you can't be serious."

"I am," My mother replied. I tried to think of a reason for sending him away.

"But," I said desperately, "where is he going to stay? He most certainly _cannot _stay at Goode. HE doesn't have any dorm room. I mean –oh gods –he can't stay in my room-"

"Annabeth." Mom's voice held a bit of impatience now. "It's all settled. I already called your friend Jason -I assume you still remember him? Well, I called him and he said that Luke can stay with him. Do not worry."

"But -" I tried to say something else, but I found I couldn't. Like always, I couldn't find a way of defeating Mom. So I just sighed.

"Okay." My voice was smaller than I expected it to be.

"It's alright, Annabeth," Mom said, her voice gentle. She must have sensed my distress. After all, I was here to escape the reality of getting married next year. And then one of the reminders of what's gonna happen to me is going to be here tomorrow.

"I need to go," I said. "Bye, Mom." Before she could reply, I hung up.

I must have been wearing a miserable expression because when I entered, the girls stopped blabbering to turn to me with worried expressions.

"Annabeth?" Piper asked gently. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I lied. "Just… a couple problems from the kingdo –uh, back home." I realized I haven't told Piper and Hazel about my secret yet. "Um, can you guys do me a favor? And by that I mean you, Piper and Hazel."

"Sure, what is it?" Hazel said.

"Find me a dress for the Homecoming," I said. And that was all I needed to say, because they both nodded immediately and went to Piper's closet, rummaging for clothes (although I was pretty sure they'd both be shopping for me anyway).

"Thalia, can I talk to you?" I said. Without a word, Thalia nodded and we both got outside the room.

"What is it?" Thalia asked worriedly. I sighed.

"Luke's coming tomorrow," I said miserably. "Here. At Goode." Thalia's eyes widened.

"What?" she half-whispered. "That's not possible!"

"Yes, it is," I said. Thalia looked at me sympathetically.

"What are you gonna do?" she asked softly. I shrugged.

"Face the fact, I guess," I said. "Besides, do I have a choice?" Thalia nodded understandingly, and I was really grateful to her for being there for me right now. Then suddenly, her eyes lit up.

"Annie, I've got an idea," she said. I raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?" I asked.

"You need to forget about this," she said. "Have fun tonight, get loose, and then you'll face tomorrow better."

"What am I supposed to do?" I asked. "I don't wanna go to a club to party or something."

"Who needs a club to party?" Thalia asked, smiling mischievously. "The Stolls are throwing a party tonight, at their dorms. And I heard they host pretty good ones." She winked at me, and I groaned and rolled my eyes.

"Thalia-" I began, but she cut me off. We both went inside the dorm room, and when Piper and Hazel turned to look at us, Thalia grinned and announced, "Get ready, guys. We're crashing that party."

Percy

Being in a place packed with people, with bright lights and loud music wasn't really my thing. But since it was Leo's birthday, I decided to give the guy a chance and agreed to accompany him at the Stolls' party. Now Birthday Boy was there somewhere with Jason and Nico, having fun while I sat at a barstool, my mouth shut and quietly watching what's happening around me. I may be a popular jock, but I'm not a party guy.

I have been swimming a while ago at our apartment complex, and the instant I dried myself off (although not completely) I received a text message from Leo saying that the Stolls were having a party tonight. I tried to decline, but the moron decided to remind me that it was his freaking birthday, and that only came once in a year, and that I owed him a favor. And so I reluctantly agreed to come in here.

The party started a while ago, and now it's already evening. Since Goode's a really disciplined school with a few good values, there was no group of teenagers taking pot in the corner, or no fighting between two guys or more. But there is still dirty dancing and alcohol, even though most of us here are minors. Oh well. I guess a party never loses this kind of stuff.

And so here I am, bored and trying to shoo away half-sober half-drunk girls who try to flirt with me. I kind of felt underdressed a bit; most girls were wearing these party dresses, and though the clothing were short and sort of lacked modesty, they looked good.

To try and keep away my boredom, I messed with my phone. I scrolled through my messages, and my fingers couldn't help but click my conversations with a certain name: _Annabeth. _Smiling a little, I clicked on and read our previous conversations. The funny ones made me smile and the more serious ones made me frown a bit, but all in all, reading the short texts cheered me up a bit, as though I was a book nerd and what I was reading was a beautiful novel.

I decided to call her. Maybe talking to her can occupy me –well, I guess it always does –and I can escape from this whole party reality. I dialed her number and waited for her to pick up.

After several tries, Annabeth still didn't answer. I was starting to get worried. Then it occurred to me that she might be studying, as she always does, and so I put my phone down. I can't deny that I was disappointed, though.

The bar tender (yeah. The Stolls hired one, aren't they amazing?) asked me if I wanted a drink, and I refused. My fingers were still lingering around my phone screen while my mind decided if I should call Annabeth again. Without knowing it, I was dialing her number again.

This time, though, she picked up. But maybe not. She answered the call, but she didn't speak. All I heard was loud music and the voices of teenagers. Was she… at a party?

No. No, she possibly couldn't be. I mean, the last thing she would do during a Sunday night is to attend a party! And Annabeth wasn't a party person, like me. Besides, the curfew's at eleven, and she can't be in a bar in the city because she'll be home late and the gates are closed. So where could she be?

I stood up and walked away from the bar, trying to get a good signal.

"Annabeth?" I said. "Hey, Wise Girl, you there?" No reply. So I continued walking, still trying to get a good reception, until I arrived at a place where the dance floor was in my view. And what I saw made me freeze.

I recognized her instantly. Her blonde hair –now back to its natural golden color –her tall figure, and most especially her gray eyes, which were now bright with drunk enthusiasm.

It was Annabeth. She was wearing this shirt black dress and heels –and by gods, I swear she looked really _good, _but I just couldn't believe it. Annabeth, in a party, dressed in something like that, and maybe even drunk? Unbelievable.

And she was dancing with this tall blonde guy –I think his name was Alexander, or something –and I could see that although she was having fun, the guy's eyes held something more than that.

And the fact that what I was seeing was making me angry kind of unnerved me. Was I… jealous? Whatever.

Whatever it was I'm feeling, it kind of brought me striding across the dance floor and to the both of them. The two of them stopped dancing to face me, the guy looking confused and Annabeth smiling and frowning at the same time.

"Hello, Annabeth," I said after taking a deep breath. Her eyebrows scrunched together cutely, and then she said,

"Do I know you?" Ouch. After a pause, she said with a grin, "Oh, yes. Perrrccyy." She slurred my name. I was right. She was drunk.

"Dude, who are you?" the guy asked, annoyance in his voice. "We were dancing."

"Percy Jackson," I said in a venomous tone, and I almost smirked when the guy recoiled. "Back off."

"But Percy," Annabeth whined, "we were having fun! I've never had so much fun!" I rolled my eyes.

"Annabeth, let's go," I said firmly. "You're drunk?"

"Man, she's right, we were having fun!" Alexander said. "Go away."

"No, she's going with me." When I grabbed Annabeth's hand, Alexander's fist flew out. I quickly ducked, and then I socked him on the face. That felt good.

I heard a few gasps from the people, and then just as I turned my back and grabbed Annabeth with me, Alexander stood up and punched me on the stomach. Too bad for him, though; I worked out, so his fist connected with my abs instead. The impact was hard, though, and I reeled back a bit. Without thinking, I swung my fist and it connected with Alexander's nose with a _crack, _and then he fell to the floor.

I didn't stop to see what happened next. I grabbed Annabeth's hand and led her outside.

The weather was cold, and I took off my jacket and draped it around Annabeth's shoulders. She was shivering, and her face was still flushed. Halfway back to the girls' dorms, she stopped.

"What is it?" I asked gently. Annabeth didn't answer. Instead, she just ran off and bent over. I realized she was vomiting, and I quickly ran over to her and held her hair as she threw up.

"Gods," Annabeth said. "I'm such a mess." I knew that although she now able to talk, Annabeth was only half-conscious. She was still drunk.

"Come on." I walked over to her and gently lifted her in my arms. Annabeth was even lighter now, and I guess that was because of all her volleyball training. She snored softly and her head leaned on my shoulder as I carried her to her dorms.

Luckily, I didn't need to swipe Annabeth's card on the machine, because they door was open (if that was good or bad, I wasn't sure). She or Piper must have forgotten to lock it.

_Piper. _I inwardly groaned. She must have been the one who brought Annabeth into the party. Ugh. I made a mental note to talk to her after this.

I pushed the door open with my toe and went inside. I gently set Annabeth down in her bed and flicked the lamp on her bedside table.

I was on my knees, and because of that, I was eye –wait, no, _face-level _with Annabeth. And I couldn't help staring at her face, which was so peaceful and serene and, well, she basically looked like an angel. And that was saying a lot.

Sighing, I stood up and took off the pair of black heels from her feet. Knowing Annabeth, I knew she wasn't the one who planned her outfit. A pair of those things would have been her last choice.

Annabeth groaned and I immediately went back to her. Her eyes were shut tight, but I could see she was struggling to say something.

"Annabeth?" I said softly.

"Luke," she muttered. I frowned. Who's Luke? Suddenly, I felt something on my chest when I heard her say that. Annabeth's eyes were still closed.

"I hate him," Annabeth mumbled, but her face was relaxed now. "He's my fiancé…" My eyebrows scrunched together. Fiancé? Annabeth had a fiancé? She was getting married?

"What?" I asked, although I know she wasn't going to answer me. Annabeth was sleep-talking.

"Reason…" Annabeth continued, her voice trailing off, "why I'm… in here. Married at my birthday… Arriving tomorrow… No." And then that was that. Annabeth stopped talking, falling asleep completely.

I sighed and pulled a blanket over her and tucked her in. I felt so protective and caring and all those stuff. It felt so nice, and it felt so _right. _I've never done this to a person before. It felt kinda new, but I felt like I… argh. It's unexplainable.

Well anyway, after stashing her heels someplace Piper was sure to find, I went back to Annabeth's side again. I softly pushed a stray of blonde hair away from her sleeping face.

"Good night, Wise Girl," I said. Then the next thing I did surprised me: I leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Sleep tight. I'll see you in the morning."

With that, I stood up and turned the lamp off, and then I went out, locking the door behind me.

** Okay guys, sorry for the late update, but my wifi again was being a wuss :( So I turned fourteen last Wednesday, and yeah, I got a huge birthday-greeting-whatnot from random people and of course my crazy best friends ^_^ Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter and tell me what you think!**

** Review, Follow, Favorite, and have a nice day!**

**-Bluecookies19**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO**

Chapter 11

Annabeth

I woke up with a pounding headache and a sour taste in my mouth. I sat up and was greeted with a wave of nausea. It reminded me of what I felt the moment I woke up after my head got hit by a ball.

I looked at my alarm clock and my eyes widened. It was already 8 in the morning, and school starts in thirty minutes. Worse of all, it was Monday!

I muttered a curse under my breath and quickly stood up, fixing my bed along the way. I hastily grabbed clothes from my closet, and then I ran to the bathroom and took the quickest shower I have ever had.

After that, I immediately dressed in my uniform (thankfully they were already ironed and ready to use). Without combing my hair –which probably looked like a rat's nest – I went to our mini kitchen and began rummaging around the cupboard.

Finally, I saw a box of cereal that looked like shredded cardboard and found a half-empty carton of milk in the fridge. I stuffed the food down my mouth in two minutes.

"Oh, gods," I muttered, frustrated as I looked for a pair of socks in my dresser drawer. Finally, I found one, and then I quickly slipped them on. I put on my shoes as I brushed my teeth.

Twenty minutes later, I was done. Well, not exactly, but my appearance was quite considerable for a person who partied last night. Wait… _what? _I partied last night?

I didn't remember a thing, but all I knew was that Piper and Hazel dragged me to that party last night because they saw me so disappointed. I went there clad in a short black dress and stupid heels, and then drank punch that had a tinge of alcohol in it, and then I started feeling all woozy and then this hot senior guy asked me out on a dance. I had agreed, and then that was all I remembered. Gods. I must have been acting like a total bitch last night.

I passed my bedside table and I saw a note pinned in there. It was from Piper.

_Good morning, Annie, _it said, _I'm at school right now. Sorry if I didn't wake you up. You were fast asleep. If you don't attend classes today, I'll cover you up._

I smiled, despite the fact that Piper was the reason I was hurrying and is sure to be late. Then, a horrible thought struck me and I froze. Luke… he was arriving today. Crap!

I rushed out the door and ran for my life (literally. If I didn't go to meet Luke today, Mom would kill me). I ran to the elevators and pressed the down button.

I bit my lip in thought as the elevators went down. Where would I see Luke? What will he be doing here? When will he go back to his kingdom? Will he be here for long?

I felt my bottom lip go wet and I raised a finger to touch it. It came out red –it was blood, my blood, hot and salty. I had bit on my lip hard on the last question. Will Luke be here for long? Because I know I wouldn't be able to stand it. The person I most want to stay away from is here.

The elevator dinged open and I stepped outside, clutching my bag straps close to me. I checked my watch -8:28. Oh gods. I have been so lost in my thoughts, I completely forgotten about the time.

I hastily ran to the main buildings. The sun was shining, and the grass was wet and smelled good. I remembered when I was a kid and in early mornings, I would run from the castle to the palace gardens. My sneakers would be soaked wet by the time I got there.

When I entered the main buildings, though, I didn't expect what I saw. I thought classes started already, but no. Instead, students were everywhere (well, they were kind of together), talking excitedly. Girls were looking flustered and giddy. I frowned. Was there an activity today? Did I miss something or what?

When I entered, everybody quieted down. What the heck is wrong with them? They were staring at me. Did I have dirt in my face?

I caught a glimpse of Percy and the rest of my friends among the crowd. Everyone except for Percy looked confused, but Percy had an unreadable expression, like he knew what was going on. And he wasn't completely happy about it.

Then, I heard someone call my name.

I turned to see someone so darn familiar weaving his way out of the crowd. He was wearing a dark blue button-down shirt, jeans, and sneakers. His sandy hair and icy blue eyes looked like the way I remembered them. The scar on his face was noticeable, but it only succeeded in making him even look better.

I was too stunned to talk or to move, or to even say his name. I stood there like an idiot, my mouth ajar and no sound coming from it.

I was even too stunned to get away from him when he pulled me tight into a hug.

"Annabeth," Luke said happily. I could smell his scent –it smelled good, but the amount of Axe seemed suffocating for me.

"Hi, Luke," I said, not sure what to sound like. I decided to act happy as well. "Uh, hi."

"I'm so glad you're here," Luke said, his blue eyes no longer icy but now in an expressive shade of dark blue –something I have never seen before. "Come on. Give me a tour." With that, Luke pulled my hand and dragged me out of the crowd, who parted after murmuring mutters of confusion. I caught Percy's eyes before I disappeared from the crowd, but he didn't display any kind of emotion in them, only an expression I couldn't quite read.

~oOo~

Percy

"Who was that guy?" Piper asked as my friends and I –Annabeth not included, since she was somewhere with the newcomer –sat down on our table for lunch. "He's… new." Jason pursed his lips. I felt like he knew the guy, but he didn't talk about it. I decided to ask him later.

"He's really good-looking," Hazel noted, and I saw Frank frown a little, though Hazel didn't seem to notice. "I saw a lot of girls swoon over him when he passed the crowd."

"Nah," Leo said, waving that off with a grin, "He can't beat Papa Leo's sass." But I thought the guy could. He looked handsome, I'll give him that. He had similar features as Jason's, but his built was different. I was tall, but he was even taller than me by a couple inches. Tall built, but judging by the muscles protruding from the tight clothing he wore, he obviously was no lanker.

Then a thought hit me. A realization. An idea that burst from nothing. I remembered last night, when I tucked Annabeth in. She had murmured words –things that clearly troubled her –about her fiancé… coming tomorrow. Coming _now. _So that guy…

"Jason," I said. "Can I talk to you for a sec?" Jason looked bothered, but he stood up.

"We'll be right back," he told the others. I led him to a corner of the cafeteria. Jason put his hands on his pockets.

"What?" he asked.

"You know the new guy," I said bluntly. "You know who he is and how he's related to Annabeth." Jason rubbed the back of his neck.

"Look, Perce," he began, "I'm not supposed to tell you-"

"I know all about Annabeth," I blurted out. "You're a royal, Jason. You knew her when she came here. I knew she's a ro-"

"Ssshhh!" Jason hissed, clamping his hand on my mouth. After a few moments, Jason shook his head. Then, he sighed and removed his hand.

"Do you really know about it?" he asked.

"Yes," I said honestly.

"How?" Jason asked. "Did you spy on her or something?"

"No," I said. "She told me herself."

"Oh." Jason exhaled. "Good. Because if you really do, you know you'll have to keep this in secret, right?"

"Yeah," I said. "Now, tell me the truth, Jason: do you know who the guy is? How's he related to Annabeth?" Jason shook his head.

"I honestly do not know him," he said. "But I know his name. It's Luke Castellan."

"Wait." I frowned. "Isn't that the famous prince of that particular kingdom?"

"Yes," Jason replied. "Well, it's Luke. And I kind of know how he's related to Annabeth."

"Not in a family way," I said. "I have a theory."

"Tell me."

"Well…" I hesitated. I remembered last night, and I felt my cheeks go hot. _Nothing happened, _I reminded myself. "Well, we were at the party last night, right? Annabeth was there too. She was dancing and drunk, and she was dancing with Alexander Evans. So I went to her to take her home, because I just couldn't stand seeing her that way, and then Alexander resisted, so I kind of punched him."

"Wait, you got into a fight with Alexander Evans?"

"Well –no. I mean, yes. Well, not really. It was just – I just punched him, twice, and then he fell, so I took the opportunity and took Annabeth with me. I carried her to the dorms and put her to bed."

"Wait, you and Annabeth, _alone_, in her room?"

"Jason!" I was pretty sure my ears were red now. "I just tucked her to bed. That's _it._"

"Oh," Jason said. "Okay, continue."

"Well, as I pulled a blanket over her, she mentioned something about a fiancé that was the reason why she's here, and he was coming tomorrow, which was now."

"And your theory is?"

"Luke's her fiancé." Jason swallowed and nodded gravely.

"Yes," he said. "You're right." I have never felt anything so disappointing in my life until now. Wait, did I just say that?

"So Annabeth's engaged," I resolved. "To a prince. And she's getting married next year. Wow."

"What wow?" Jason asked, shaking his head. "That sucks. Poor Annabeth. I'm even lucky not to end like her."

"You don't follow traditions? Like her?" I asked. Jason shrugged.

"My dad's great," he said simply, and when he said that, it kind of hurt, because I didn't have a dad to call great anymore. Before I could open my mouth to say something else, we heard a new voice.

"Oh, you guys are _so _going to explain a lot of things to me."

**Sorry for the long, long wait! Honestly, guys, I'm not used to updating on Fridays, but I had some trouble with my wifi again :3 So if I can't update next week, you know the reason why.**

** Sorry if this chapter's not worth the wait, but I promise you that the next ones would be better (not really a spoiler, but I really enjoyed writing Chapter 13).**

** We're gonna have a Private Schools' Night tomorrow, and I'm gonna dance and sing "All About That Bass" with my sister, her friends, and my friends.**

** Anyway, Review, Follow, Favorite, and have a nice day!**

**-Bluecookies19**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO**

Chapter 12

Annabeth

The past few days have been bizarre. Wanna know why? Well, first of all, Luke Castellan (who happened to be one of the hottest guys I have ever seen _and _also my fiancé) had just arrived in Goode, and he's going to stay here for two weeks. Yay.

And then the stress with volleyball, studies, and then this stupid Homecoming added up to the way a friend of mine was acting. That friend of mine happened to be Percy.

I didn't know what was wrong with him, exactly. All I knew was that he was acting all cranky and weird whenever Luke was around, or whenever I was around Luke. I don't get him.

I remembered the day I caught on Percy and –guess what? –Jason talking about me and all the mess.

_I was walking to the cafeteria with Luke after I toured him around the place. He departed, saying he's gonna look for a table for the both of us._

_So I roamed around, looking for my friends so Luke can join us, when I heard hushed voices talking in the corner. I knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but curiosity got the best of me, and I hid behind the curtains and listened._

_The voices made me freeze because I knew who they belong to._

"_You know who the guy is," Percy's voice said. "You know who he is and how he's related to Annabeth." Whoa, wait, back up. They were talking about me? Now I really need to finish this conversation._

"_Look, Perce," Jason's voice replied, "I'm not supposed to tell you-"_

"_I know all about Annabeth," Percy interrupted. "You're a royal, Jason. You knew her when she came here. I knew she's a ro-"_

"_Ssshhh!" Jason shushed Percy. Silence for a few moments. Then, "Do you really know about it?" _

"_Yes."_

"_How? Did you spy on her or something?"_

"_No. She told me herself."_

"_Oh." Jason sighed. "Good. Because if you really do, you know you'll have to keep this in secret, right?"_

"_Yeah," Percy said. "Now, tell me the truth, Jason: do you know who the guy is? How's he related to Annabeth?" _

"_I honestly do not know him," Jason said. "But I know his name. It's Luke Castellan."_

"_Wait. Isn't that the famous prince of that particular kingdom?"_

"_Yes," Jason replied. "Well, it's Luke. And I kind of know how he's related to Annabeth."_

"_Not in a family way. I have a theory." Wow, Percy has a theory?_

"_Tell me." I instinctively leaned in, smitten by their conversation._

"_Well…" Percy hesitated. "Well, we were at the party last night, right? Annabeth was there too. She was dancing and drunk, and she was dancing with Alexander Evans. So I went to her to take her home, because I just couldn't stand seeing her that way, and then Alexander resisted, so I kind of punched him." Wait, what? Percy was in that party too?_

"_Wait, you got into a fight with Alexander Evans?" Jason sounded shocked._

"_Well –no. I mean, yes. Well, not really. It was just – I just punched him, twice, and then he fell, so I took the opportunity and took Annabeth with me. I carried her to the dorms and put her to bed."_

"_Wait, you and Annabeth, alone, in her room?" Crap. I could feel my cheeks burning. And oh, wait a second. Percy carried me to the dorms and put me to bed?_

"_Jason!" I could hear the exasperation in Percy's voice. "I just tucked her to bed. That's it."_

"_Oh," Jason said. "Okay, continue."_

"_Well, as I pulled a blanket over her, she mentioned something about a fiancé that was the reason why she's here, and he was coming tomorrow, which was now." I was talking in my sleep?_

"_And your theory is?"_

"_Luke's her fiancé." You got that right._

"_Yes," Jason said. "You're right." _

"_So Annabeth's engaged," Percy resolved. "To a prince. And she's getting married next year. Wow."_

"_What wow?" Jason asked. "That sucks. Poor Annabeth. I'm even lucky not to end like her."_

"_You don't follow traditions? Like her?" _

"_My dad's great," Jason said. I couldn't let their conversation go any further now. Gathering all the courage I could to interrupt them, I parted the curtains and said, "Oh, you guys are so going to explain a lot of things to me."_

They both did a lot of explaining after that. I knew I was supposed to be the one explaining, but they did what they were told to. First about the party, about the reason why they were talking about me and Luke.

"Okay," I had said after a while. "Okay. Got it."

Now I'm walking down the halls to the cafeteria. I have free period, and I kind of felt hungry, so I decided to check out the new vending machines. I arrived at the cafeteria and saw that there were a few people there, studying and eating. I went to the vending machine and saw that the food inside were not really healthy, but then again, I never cared. I didn't eat junk, but I never cared about the sugar content and the carbs that might affect my body's hour-glass shape. Duh. I'm not _that _narcissistic.

I got two packs of sour gummy worms and a few packs of gum. Then I went to the counter and ordered a bag of Kettle Corn and a can of Coke. Then I settled on a nearby table and took out the latest book I was reading. It was called _I Was Here _by Gayle Forman. I have met her before, on a book-signing event in New York when my uncle took me there last, last summer.

I settled myself comfortable, with my headphones on. I was listening to 5 Seconds of Summer when I heard the chair in front of me move and a person sat in front. I didn't try to hide my annoyance as I looked up to whoever they were.

Sitting in front of me was a scrawny guy with blonde hair and cunning blue eyes in a purple shirt and jeans. He smiled crookedly at me, but I didn't return it. This guy was familiar…

"Uh, do I know you?" I asked, setting my book down.

"Octavian," he said, holding his hand out. "Pleasure to meet you again, Your Majesty." He said _Your Majesty _softly, I guess so that the others won't hear it, and I felt a little grateful. But my blood kind of heated up as well. No wonder he looked so familiar. It was Octavian, Luke's scrawny, scheming, and deceitful advisor.

I just stared at him with my eyebrows raised, my arms crossed over my chest, not shaking his outstretched hand. Call me rude, but for some reason I _hated _the guy. Besides, he can't blame me. I was a princess. He was only an advisor, and as one, he should know that.

Octavian lowered his hand, smiling sheepishly, but there was a glint in his eyes that told me he didn't like being sheepish. He cleared his throat.

"So, Princess," he said casually, "I heard your mother postponed your wedding?"

"Yes," I replied indifferently. "She moved it next September."

"I see," Octavian said. He smirked. "But as Luke's advisor, I really hope it would have been at your birthday." _Of course you would._

"I can't say the same," I said coolly. "But don't worry, Octavian. Postponed or not, I'm still gonna get married."

"Of course," Octavian said, smiling. Then, he leaned forward. "Just between the both of us, Princess, are feelings involved in this whole… event?" I frowned.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, you see, young girls like you, especially princesses, would love to have a happy ending. They marry for love, not for the sake of keeping their families on the top level of the social continuum. I'm sure you feel that way, too, Your Majesty. But I'm just wondering: do you love Luke, enough for you to marry him?" I was taken aback. Who was Octavian to question me? But I shook my head.

"No," I said. "I don't love Luke. Sure, I like him. As a friend. But love? No."

"That's what I thought," Octavian said, as though he was satisfied by the answer. Actually, he looked like he really was.

"What?"

"You see, in my short time in here," Octavian said, "I have learned to know your friends." I raised an eyebrow.

"And what does that mean?"

"In a group of friends, it is inevitable for two members to fall for each other. It is also foreseeable for one person to be attracted to the other. And you are the in the latter, Princess." He stood up and leaned towards me so that he can whisper in my ear, "and I know you are attracted to someone in here, Annabeth. I see the way you look at him. Your green-eyed friend? Who was he? Ah, Percy Jackson." I recoiled from Octavian.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded.

"You don't love Luke because you're attracted to someone else," Octavian replied, smiling cunningly.

"I don't understand."

"Oh, you do, Your Highness. And if I were you, I would stay away from him or else he will be involved in the trouble you will get into when your mother finds out." With that, Octavian grinned at me and then walked away, leaving me staring at the book in my hands and wondering what had happened.

Did Octavian actually thought I _liked _Percy?

How stupid of him. But then again… didn't I? Wait, no, I think the question's supposed to be _did I?_ I don't know. If I said, _didn't I_? it meant I did like him. If I said, _did I? _it meant I may or may not like him, and am still coming to the terms of finding out which was true.

Let's say I did like Percy. He was a nice guy, and a good friend. He's caring, sweet, and thoughtful. Plus, he was also Goode's hottest guy. And hey, you don't get to be friends with a guy with those traits and those looks all the time.

But I think Octavia meant that I liked Percy more than a friend. And I guess this is the time to say, _did I? _Did I actually like Percy more than as a friend? I don't know. I've never actually liked someone before, like the _like _like, probably except for Alex Pettyfer, who was the only celebrity who caught my eye ever since he played in _Beastly, _since it was one of my favorite books. I liked him even more when I found out that he played in _I Am Number Four, _which also happened to be one of my favorite books. I was lucky enough to meet and actually hold Alex's hand one time when I went with Mom to Hollywood.

Okay, enough of Alex Pettyfer. Did I like Percy Jackson? Was Percy Jackson better than Alex Pettyfer?

I was snapped out of my reverie when I heard the chair in front of me got pulled again, but this time, it was a different occupant.

It was Percy.

Percy, with all his glory and good looks. Percy, the best friend I had in a span of weeks. Percy, the guy who I was currently wondering of. Percy, Percy, Percy. The guy I would probably choose over Alex Pettyfer. Wait, no –I would _never _choose anyone over Alex Pettyfer.

What was happening to me?

"Annabeth?" Percy was waving his hand in front of my face.

"Yeah?" I said quickly. Percy shrugged and sat down the chair opposite me.

"You zoned out," he explained. He frowned as he stared at me. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing," I said. "Why'd you ask?"

"For no reason at all," Percy replied, smirking. "Hey, do you have some of those gummy thingy left?"

"Help yourself." I pushed him the pack of sour gummy worms. "Percy, are you cutting classes?" Percy stopped eating for a while to look at me with wide eyes and an innocent expression.

"How'd you know?"

"You idiot," I said, slapping his arm. "You shouldn't be doing that!"

"I know!" Percy protested. "But Math is just so boring!" I rolled my eyes.

"You find everything boring," I said.

"Except for a few things," Percy said. "I guess you're one of them." I nearly choked on my own spit.

"What?"

"I meant you and our friends!" Percy said hastily. "You know, you guys are so much fun, so you're not boring."

"I see," I said. "Okay." Awkward silence followed after that. Here I was, pondering Octavian's stupid words that surprisingly left an effect on me, and then here Percy was, being stupid and sweet and inadvertently adorable as he tries to cover up the little slip-up back there. I wonder if he meant something else…

"You should probably go to class," I told him.

"But you're staying up here!" Percy whined. "Why can't I?"

"Because, Seaweed Brain," I said exasperatedly, "I've got free period and you've got Math class, and Mrs. Dodds doesn't forgive that easily. I'd suggest you go to class before she holds you on detention for two months or more."

"There you said it, she isn't forgiving," Percy replied. "I'm late for about five minutes already, and she's never gonna forgive me. I'm gonna be in detention for a whole year if I enter class, so I might as well stay here and enjoy free period and risk a month of detention than suffer an hour of boring numbers and still take on detention. For a year," he added with a tone that made it sound like he was talking to a toddler who was ignorant to the whole world.

"Shut up," I said. "And go to class." Percy pouted.

"Why can't I stay?"

"Because you can't," I said. "Okay? Now, shoo." Then Percy started making these cute faces, and I started to get angry because I knew what he was doing, and I was falling for it.

"Won't work, Perseus," I said. "Go to class." Percy sighed and stood up.

"Fine," he said resignedly. "Bye, Wise Girl." I just waved at him, and then I watched as he disappeared from the cafeteria. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. Somehow, Octavian's words were still stuck in my mind_. And if I were you, I would stay away from him or else he will be involved in the trouble you will get into when your mother finds out._

I'll try to rephrase that one, Octavian. That is, _if _my mother finds out.

**So, hey guys. So you might be thinking, _why the heck is she updating today? She should be updating during Fridays._****  
**

** Just kidding. I know you're not thinking like that. Or maybe you are. I dunno. Tell me what you think! xD**

** Anyway, I know updating today is unusual, since it's Sunday (or Monday. Or Saturday. Stupid time zones), but I decided to update today because I'm going somewhere Friday and if I updated on the other days besides Friday, maybe the wifi decides to be a jerk and doesn't let me update.**

** Better early than never, right? xD**

** Anyway, not really my best chapter, but hope it fills you up. ****I'll see you guys next week! **

** Review, Follow, Favorite, and have a nice day!  
**

**-Bluecookies19**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO**

Chapter 13

Percy

Today's the Homecoming dance. Well, actually, it's tonight. The football game was yesterday evening, and I had sat in the bleachers with Leo and Piper while Annabeth sat at the other side with, guess who, Luke. All students are excited, except for one, that is. Here I was, laying on Jason's bed, staring at the ceiling as Jason tried to choose a good outfit for tonight's dance. I've never seen him like this: so vain. I would never trouble myself with looking for a "wonderful" outfit. As long as I'll see a sensible one, I'll just pick it up.

"Dude, why aren't you getting ready?" Jason asked. "Aren't you excited?"

"No," I said, grunting as I sat up. "And it's still 5 o' clock, the dance doesn't start 'till seven-thirty or something."

"I know, but you still haven't chosen an outfit, have you?"

"I actually did." I stood up and sat at the other bed, which was newly made.

"Hey, get outta there, Perce," Jason warned. "Luke's not gonna be happy if he finds his covers messed up." I rolled my eyes. Jason was sharing his room with Luke. Somehow, the fact that he was going to marry Annabeth pissed me off. Sure, the guy was nice enough, but I feel like he didn't deserve somebody like her. So far, I don't think anybody deserves Annabeth.

"Princes," I muttered as I went back to Jason's bed. "Stuck-up." Jason looked pained, and I realized my mistake. "Sorry, Jase," I said quickly. "I don't mean all of them. You're not stuck-up, believe me." Jason sighed and nodded.

"I understand that," he said. "But I wish you didn't insult Luke, you know. The guy's nice and all, but he's not very forgiving when he's insulted."

"Why's that?" I asked.

"It's a royalty thing," Jason explained. "We don't wanna be insulted. Sure, everybody doesn't want to be, but we take it seriously, and once we are insulted, it's not gonna turn up nice. It's a good thing I'm not much like that."

"So is Annabeth like that?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, very," Jason said, nodding darkly. "She says her fatal flaw is hubris."

"What's hubris?"

"Let her explain that to you," Jason said, waving me off. "I've no idea what's that either."

The door opened, and we both turned to see Luke enter, wearing a smile on his face. He was wearing jeans, sneakers, and wait –was that the shirt I have been wanting since forever? The fact that Luke looked so good kind of set me off. Was I insecure of him? Possible. I mean, the dude's hot, rich, and well, he's my best friend's fiancé. Well, the last part was another story.

I must have been glaring at him because Jason nudged me with his arm and looked at me warningly, like, _cut it off._ I cleared my throat.

"Hi," I told Luke. "I'm Percy Jackson. Jason's friend."

"Hello, Percy," Luke said cheerfully. "I'm Luke Castellan. I guess you know me already, though. What with my father and-"

"Actually, no, I don't," I interrupted him. Luke looked a bit crestfallen, and I resisted the urge to smile condescendingly at him. "But now I know. Jason," I stood up, "I'll see you later, bro. Good game, by the way." Jason was also a football player.

"Bye, Percy," Jason said, shooting me a _What the heck, dude? _look. Maybe I shouldn't have been rude to Luke. I can't help it. His presence annoyed me.

I fished my car keys out of my pocket as I walked out of the boys' dorms and into the afternoon sunset. Well, it wasn't really sunset –just the start of it. I stopped for a second at the girls' dorms, to look at the window which happened to be Annabeth's. Then I continued walking to my truck.

I drove home and got ready for tonight's dance. Yeah, I know, it's too early, but I decided to look extra good because I still haven't got a dance partner. Guys gather guts during events like these, and even though I was admittedly Goode's most desirable guy (hey, I'm not boasting), I didn't ask someone out… at least, not yet. Jason's got Piper, Frank and Hazel, Nico went with Thalia (they were just cousins, so it was easy for Nico), and Leo asked the school's volleyball captain, Calypso.

As for me, well, I was planning on asking Annabeth, of course. I have been planning to since the arrival of Homecoming was announced. It would have been easy for me at first, until Luke arrived. Because I was pretty sure he was also planning to have Annabeth as his own date.

I opened my closet and took out my outfit for tonight. It was all formal, and I had this black tux, the formal pants (I think it's called dress pants. I have no idea), shiny black shoes, and a green tie (Mom told me it would bring out my eyes).

After laying it out on the bed, I grabbed a towel and went into the shower. I stayed in the bathroom for approximately 30 minutes (that's right, I have all the time in the world), and then after that, I changed first into running shorts and a shirt.

I opened my laptop first, to kill time, since I didn't really want to be dressed up this early. Annabeth had made me a Facebook account, and she typed my password as SEAWEED BRAIN AND WISE GIRL all caps, and my account name was Perseus Jackson. I hated my real name, so I changed it into Percy after I finally got access of it. I didn't change the password, though.

Well anyway, as I scrolled down my news feed, I saw statuses about tonight's Homecoming dance and the Homecoming football.

Calypso Gadwall: Congratulations Goode Tigers for throwing a good game! #FootballForever #Homecoming

Thalia Grace: I personally think Homecoming dances suck. The football was amazing, but the dance? Eh, forget about it. #Homecoming #suckshahahaha

Leo Valdez The Awesome: Homecoming's tonight :D Hope they play Fall Out Boy's _Light Em' Up _for the slow dance tahahaha #Homecoming #ImOnFAAYYYAAAAHHH

Piper McLean: HOMMMEEECOOMMINGG OH YEAH. #Homecoming(She tagged Thalia, Hazel, and Annabeth about the dresses they were all gonna wear.)

There were so many statuses about Homecoming, each with the hash tag "Homecoming." When I checked the time and it read 6:15, I closed my laptop and started to get ready. After I brushed my teeth, I changed to my formal attire. I didn't bother to try and flatten my hair out, because it's always messy, but in a good way. I just tousled it and then checked myself, straightening my tie and grinning at the mirror for last-minute appearance polish. When I was sure I looked presentable, I got my phone, wallet, and car keys and headed downstairs.

Mom was in the kitchen with Paul, and when she saw me, she basically had tears in her eyes as she wiped her hands on her apron. Yep, that's my mom. A strong lady, but she can get very emotional sometimes.

"Percy," she said as she went and hugged me. "My little boy's growing up." I blushed. Paul was sitting in the kitchen table, grinning at me teasingly.

"Mom," I muttered. Mom let go of me and ruffled my hair, a smile still on her face.

"I wonder where the little boy who always asked for blue candy from me went," Mom said. I shrugged.

"I still like blue candy," I said, smiling. Mom chuckled.

"Well, I don't want you to be late. Who's your date?" Wow. It's not prom, Mom. It's Homecoming.

"No one, but I'm planning in an impromptu proposal," I said playfully. "I'll be home by eleven."

"I'll see you later, Perce!" Paul called. I waved at them in response, and then I hopped inside my truck and started the engine. I phoned Nico as I drove to Goode.

"Percy," Nico answered after the third ring. "Hey dude, wassup?"

"Where are you?" I asked.

"I'm in Goode already," Nico answered. "Man, the decorating committee has really outdone themselves this time. They transformed our school into a party place."

"I'm not sure if that's good or bad," I said. "I'll be there in five minutes."

"Got it. I'll see you later, Percy." I ended the call, just as I entered Goode's gates. The guard, Argus, grinned at me as I passed. I parked my car next to the black sports car which was Nico's. After that, I went inside. Let the party begin.

Well actually, the party's already started even before I got there. Bright lights, colorful streamers, loud music, dancing people, drinks, food, and well, basically the things you find in a semi-formal party. I straightened my tie nervously as I looked for my friends.

"PERCE!" I turned to see Leo waltzing towards me, a crazy grin on his face. He was wearing the same formal outfit as mine, only his tie was blazing red. He was holding a red plastic cup in his hand. He took a sip and grinned at me.

"Don't you think it's too early for you to get drunk?" I asked. Leo laughed and shook his head.

"This isn't alcohol, Percy," he said. "Trust me, even the Stolls couldn't get past Mrs. Kerr tonight. They tried to sneak into the punch, but she kind of found out. They're out there sulking now, and we're in here enjoying good ol' Coke and Pepsi."

"Hope the food's good," I said, smiling.

"Crossing my fingers," Leo agreed. "Well, I've gotta go. I'm gonna ask Calypso out on a dance. And oh by the way, if you're looking for our friends, they're over there!" He pointed somewhere, and indeed I saw our friends standing together, laughing and talking. I took a breath and walked over to them.

Hazel was the first to notice me. She smiled and said my name and all their heads turned, and soon they all greeted me. Jason, Nico, and Frank wore the same outfit as me, except for the ties –Jason's was blue, Nico's was black, and Frank's was purple.

The girls looked pretty, too. Hazel was in a long golden dress with her hair in a clean bun, while Piper wore a dark blue cocktail and had her hair braided around her head. Thalia's dress looked like something she would normally wear. It was all black, with the exception of her silver-studded collar and black-and-white combat boots.

And then there was Annabeth. Oh, gods. She looked even prettier than Piper, and that's saying a lot. She was wearing a gray cocktail dress, with her hair down and curled naturally. She wore no make-up, except maybe for the little lip gloss that made her lips light pink. Instead of heels, she wore her gray Converse sneakers.

I must have been staring with my mouth wide open. Well, I was staring, but not with my mouth wide open. Nico smirked and Jason tried to stifle his laugh. Emphasis on tried to. He ended up snorting. And Frank, well, Frank looked basically clueless because he was too busy staring at Hazel himself.

"So, what's up guys?" I asked, trying to change the subject. "Any good time?"

"Oh, totes," Piper agreed, smiling. "I never thought dances would be fun."

"Me too," Annabeth said. "I mean, this is my first Homecoming, after all."

"You don't have Homecoming back in your place?" Hazel asked, looking shocked. Annabeth shrugged.

"Well, we'll just wait for the slow dance and for the coronation," Piper said. "Guys, who'd you think the queen would be?"

"My money's on Queen B," Jason said. "Running for queen, as always. And, well, winning, as always."

"I'd think Silena would beat Drew," Piper argued. "She's much prettier and nicer."

"Well, I would be betting you'd be the queen," Jason pulled Piper towards him, grinning, and Piper blushed. Annabeth and Hazel cooed, while Thalia just looked horrified.

"I can't stand seeing my brother flirt!" she said. "Oh, gods. My eyes burn. I think I'm gonna go get something to drink." With that, she waved at us and disappeared.

"You look nice," I told Annabeth, and she smiled.

"Thanks," she said. "You're not so bad as well. Very… dapper." It was my turn to blush, which was odd, because I never blush. Well, I blush when I'm embarrassed, not when I'm complimented.

The music was getting louder and it evolved from semi-upbeat tunes to now full upbeat tunes. I could practically hear Leo laughing from a distance when Fall Out Boy's Young Volcanoes played (I knew he was hoping for _My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark,_ but I figured anything from Fall Out Boy would do him good).

"Do you wanna dance?" I shouted to Annabeth over the music.

"I would love to," Annabeth shouted back. So I grabbed her hand and we both went to the dance floor. Thankfully, the song changed into _Last Kiss _by Taylor Swift (I mean, come one, a slow song would be good, but why the heck did it had to be a break-up song?), and I heard Leo groan "oh, fuck," from wherever he is. Annabeth put her hand on my shoulder and I nervously put mine on her waist. Our other hands clutched each other. We started dancing.

"I never thought you could dance, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth teased, laughing at me. I blushed again.

"I don't dance," I muttered.

"I do recall now, the smell of the rain," Annabeth sang along as I awkwardly turned her around, "fresh of the pavement, I ran off the plane, that July 9th, the beat of your heart, it jumps through your shirt, I can still feel your arms…"

"Oh for fudge's sake, would you please stop singing?" I scolded her playfully.

"You love my voice," Annabeth teased back. We joked around as we danced. I was having a good time, and it being my life, something bad was bound to happen every time I have a good time.

Luke came. He was wearing a suit and tie, and he looked good, as well. His appearance would have intimidated me (since he was taller than me by a bit, too) if not for the fact that, well, he came for Annabeth and she was dancing with _me. _So I felt okay because at least, for now, I wouldn't feel so insecure of him.

"Can I borrow Annabeth for a while?" Luke asked, though his voice made it clear that he wasn't really asking for permission. His usually kind expression had turned grim, and it made me wonder, did he like Annabeth? I set my jaw and looked straight at him. We had this little staring contest, until Luke decided to just grab Annabeth's hand.

"Luke," Annabeth started, but he just turned to her with an obviously fake smile and said, "C'mon, Beth, let's dance." Without waiting for an answer, he led her away.

I just stood there, looking at the ground, and I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. I looked up to see Jason, Frank, Leo, and Nico looking disapprovingly at me.

"What?" I protested.

"You really shouldn't have let him do that," Leo said, shaking his head. So they saw the scene?

"Says the love expert," I muttered.

"It doesn't take a 'love expert' to tell you what to do when a situation like that happens," Leo said. "Aww, c'mon man. That song-switching from Young Volcanoes to Last Kiss wasn't for nothing. You should have danced with her, dude!"

"I danced with her!" I argued back. "But then Luke came, and then he took Annabeth away!" The five of us was silent for a while, and then Leo snapped his fingers.

"I've got an idea," he announced. "And I need Percy to stay put and Jason, Nico, and Frankie to help me. Got it?"

"What are you planning to do?" Jason asked curiously.

"Just watch and see, Sparky," Leo said, winking. Then, to me, he grinned and said, "Neaten up, Kelp Head. We're gonna get you a dance partner."

~oOo~

Annabeth

I didn't enjoy that much when Luke took me away to another part of the dance floor. He looked at the DJ, who nodded. A few moments later the song changed into Colbie Caillat's _Try._ My favorite song.

"Can I have this dance?" Luke asked. I didn't reply, just took his hand and danced. I can't help but keep a glum face, though. I didn't like dancing with Luke. I wanted to dance with Percy, even though he wasn't a good dancer.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Luke asked. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Keep your penny," I said. "I've nothing on my mind, and I've got more than just pennies than I need."

"Then maybe you want more than a penny for your thoughts," Luke replied coolly. "What is it, Annabeth? Perhaps… an engagement ring made out of diamonds?" I recoiled from him and looked at him straight in the eye.

"I thought you didn't want to marry me."

"You're right. I don't," Luke replied. "Listen, Annabeth. I'm not an asshole. I respect you and your decisions. But I'm a prince, and I have to do my responsibilities… and I think you should, too."

"We're completely different," I answered. It was true. We were both royalty, but I didn't want to be one.

"Do you like someone?" I asked out of nowhere.

"Well, I like you," Luke said. When I gaped at him, he smiled. "Don't worry. Yes, I like you more than as a friend, but I also like someone else, better than I like you." That would've stung, but I felt relieved. Weird, but I didn't want Luke to like me.

"Good," I said. "But why'd you dance with me? And why did you have to be so forceful? You and Percy practically had a glaring contest."

"Octavian," Luke said, lowering his voice. "Dad sent him with me to check in on the both of us. To check if we were progressing."

"Progressing?"

"On liking each other." Luke twirled me around. "That's why we have to be very careful."

"Oh." We continued dancing, silently, until I heard someone tap Luke's shoulder. I turned to see Leo, grinning at us mischievously. He was holding a silver platter with cupcakes at the top.

"Leo?" I asked. "What-"

"I offered to help the serving crew for a while," he explained. "Would you like some cupcakes?"

"Uh, no, thank you-" Luke began, but Leo said, "They taste so good. I insist you take on one. Choose." What was he up to? I hesitantly picked a purple cupcake from the tray. I saw a strange-looking green one, so out of instinct I avoided it.

When Luke reached for a chocolate cupcake, Leo swatted his hand away, playfully. When Luke frowned, Leo said, "Try this, amigo. This tastes better than chocolate." He handed Luke the green cupcake. Before Luke could protest, Leo danced off, waving at us. Before he disappeared completely, though, he mouthed to me, _eat._ So I did. And Luke did the same.

"It tastes good," I said, wondering why I doubted Leo in the first place. Luke nodded.

"This one's delicious, but there's something weird in it," he said. Then suddenly, he turned a little pale and he dropped the cupcake as he held his stomach.

"Luke, what's wrong?" I asked urgently. He just smiled a little, despite the pained expression he had.

"It's okay," he said. "I'll just use the bathroom. I'll be back." With that, he walked away. What just happened? I looked up at the cupcakes, at the one in my hand, and at the one he dropped. Then it dawned on me. No wonder Luke's cupcake looked strange because… oh, gods. Did Leo poison him?

I decided to go back to my friends, but they were nowhere to be found. I only saw Percy. When he saw me, he smiled and walked over to me, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Wise Girl," he said. "Um, where's Luke?"

"Bathroom," I said. "He… wait, did you see Leo?"

"Last time I checked he was selling cupcakes," Percy said. He smirked. "He gave you one?"

"Actually, he made Luke and I eat, and then Luke turned sick and said he needed the bathroom," I explained. I could see a ghost of a smile on Percy's lips.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked, a little nervously. "Um, again?"

"Sure," I said, grinning. We went to the dance floor, and as I placed my hand on his shoulder, the song changed and there were a few coos heard. The song was _Loving You Tonight _by Andrew Allen, and it was one of the most romantic songs I have ever heard.

Percy and I started dancing, and I leaned my head on his shoulder as we danced. I tried to ignore the insects in my stomach and the way his heart beat audibly against my temple.

"You knew about Luke, didn't you?" I asked softly. "You guys sabotaged him into eating that cupcake." Percy chuckled.

"I'm sorry?" he asked. He didn't sound sorry.

"What'd you put in the cupcake?" I asked curiously. Percy shrugged.

"Ipecac," he said. Then he laughed a little. "It was Leo's idea. He asked for the medicine from Katie Gardner." I smiled a little.

"Why did you do it?" I asked, looking up into Percy's beautiful ocean eyes. "I mean, why did you let them do it?"

"I wanted to dance with you," Percy said simply. With that he twirled me around and when I was back in his arms, his hug was tighter around me. I felt so safe and snug in Percy's arms. I rested my head on his shoulder again.

"Me too, Seaweed Brain," I whispered. And I swear I could feel his lips brush against my forehead, lingering for a while in my hair.

And in that moment, I knew I liked Percy.

And by that I mean I liked him more than as a friend.

**I just got home from a trip and I'm sooooo tired... but I still went here because the wifi's cooperating, luckily :) Tell me what you think of this chapter! :D**

** Review, Follow, Favorite, and have a nice day!**

**-Bluecookies19**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO**

Chapter 14

Annabeth

I'd been in Goode for two months already. It's already November, and I guess I'm doing pretty well here in New York –academically, emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Just kidding. But I'm doing well. I'm still a straight A student and I do my homework and study, but I also have time for my friends and, well, my crush.

Yes, my crush. Percy. It's been two months since I admitted to myself that I liked him –and I could only hope that he felt the same. I know it sucks and I barely have a chance because a) I've got a fiancé, b) we're gonna be married next September, and c) Percy's the hottest guy at school and majority of girls are basically heads over heels for him (I've accidentally opened the wrong door at the dorms one night, and one wall of the room was really covered with Percy's pictures).

So, yeah. In a nutshell, I'm still miserable as hell and the guy I liked probably didn't like me back. But it's okay. At least, Percy and I were friends. _Very _close friends. I remembered the night after the Homecoming when he told me that I was his first girl best friend. And I had told him that he was also my first guy best friend.

And those were one of those moments where in movies, while the girl and the guy were out under the stars and one of them (preferably the guy, though) confesses something to the other, and then they both lock eyes, and then slowly, they lean in and close the gap between them and BOOM, they kiss and afterwards start dating. Happy ending.

That didn't happen to me, though.

All Percy and I did was just smile at each other until things got a bit awkward, and then he cleared his throat and suggested we go back inside for the coronation. I had felt disappointment because I had expected something to happen (but of course it's rare, because he just told me I was his best friend. It wasn't like he told me he was in love with me). But I couldn't forget how my heart beat so fast when I saw his cheeks go red and a smile form in his face.

I know I should be careful with my feelings for him, but I can't help it. I admit, I even liked him even more as the days passed by. Everything he did seemed to turn me on –the way he bites his lip when he was thinking or deciding, when he scratches or rubs his neck when he's nervous, when he runs his hand through his hair when he's frustrated, and all that. Even when he does the silliest things, I still find it adorable.

Besides, one of my worries is gone, anyway. Luke's already back in Sobryta with Octa- I'm-an-asshole-vian.

Back to reality. Anyway, today was the last day of training for volleyball because we were gonna have a sports fest starting tomorrow, for five days. I don't know if other schools have sports fests, but Goode was a private school, so maybe we've got our own rules and events. Anyway, athletes from different schools are gonna come and compete with us.

So maybe it's like the FIFA world cup and Goode's like Brazil: we're gonna host the event. And now Coach Hedge went wild (just kidding LOL) and decided to pull all athletes out for training.

And I'm currently at the volleyball court, sweating like a pig while sitting at the bleachers, gulping down my third bottle of water. Calypso whistled, signaling the end of our break, and I wearily stood up from the bleachers and trudged to the court.

It was three against three –I was paired up with Calypso and Reyna. On the other side of the court stood Rachel, Zoe, and Silena. They all looked lively, except for me, who probably looked like I ran a three-day nonstop marathon. My arms were red and they had bumps and they stung. I suddenly regretted returning majority of the volleys.

Calypso noticed my arms and said gently, "You could go rest, Annabeth. You've been training so hard already."

"I'm okay," I said, although I wasn't, not really. "Can I just be the one to set the ball, or something?"

"No, you go rest," Calypso insisted. "Your arms… oh, god. They're all red. Don't worry, it's normal, but I think you should go to the clinic and put something on it… maybe you've got an allergic reaction, or something."

"I'll take her there," Rachel offered. Then, she said, "Uh, scratch that. I don't think I have to." I frowned and opened my mouth to say something, but then I realized what she was talking about after a while.

Walking towards us with a paper bag in his arms was Percy. He was wearing simple clothes –jeans, shirt, jacket, and shoes, so maybe he didn't have training today. His messy black hair looked windblown, and his green eyes sparkled as he moved towards us.

"Hi, uh, girls," he said as he reached us. He set the paper bag down the bleachers and we gathered in front of him.

"Hi, Percy," I said. "Um, what are you doing here?" Percy smiled that little crooked smile that made me want to squeeze his cheeks so hard.

"I brought you lunch," he explained, scratching the nape of his neck, "If you girls don't mind… I only bought two sets of lunch for me and Annabeth."

"That's so sweet," Rachel cooed. She looked like she wanted Percy to actually have sweet lunch with me. But I couldn't help but notice the slight… I don't know, _bitter _tinge in her voice. And the way she looked at Percy… it wasn't the fan girl obsessive-possessive type of look, bit it made me wonder, did she like Percy? Of course it's not impossible. Almost all girls wanted him. Rachel could just be one of those who did.

"It's okay, Percy," Calypso said, smiling. She looked at me with a subtle teasing look, afterwards followed with a wink. And then she checked her watch which she put in her pocket. "It's almost lunch time already, anyway, so it's all good. Okay, girls, morning training is over. Lunch break. Be back by one, okay?" All the girls including me nodded, and we all went to the locker room to change first. Afterwards we all departed.

I had expected Percy to lead me to the cafeteria, but he didn't. Instead, I followed him to the school grounds, where he pulled a blanket from his bag and spread it out on the ground. What? I looked around the grounds. Bunches of students were everywhere, some sitting under the shade of the trees, listening to music and reading while some ate lunch.

Percy finished smoothing the blanket and with a grin, he plopped down with his legs crossed and patted the spot next to him for me to sit down.

"Seaweed Brain, what are you doing?" I asked. Percy rolled his eyes.

"Just sit down, Wise Girl," he said. "We're gonna have lunch, of course."

"Okay…?" I said uncertainly. I know I should have been jumping up and down now, like any other love-struck girl, because, hey, it's my crush, and he's gonna have lunch with me. But even though I liked Percy, I'm not a love-struck girl, and I am capable of controlling my feelings and not acting like, well, an overexcited teenage girl.

I sat down next to Percy, gripping my water bottle so tight it turned my knuckles white. Percy didn't notice. He leaned over and started to take out the food inside the bag.

"Percy, where are the others?" I asked as he laid out all the food. "I mean, wouldn't they want to have lunch with us?"

"Jason and Piper are out on a date, and so are Frank and Hazel," Percy explained. "Leo felt like he was third-wheeling, so he decided to go eat at Times Square for lunch." Dates. Oh, gods. So Percy and I… was it possible what we're having now was a date as well?

Do. Not. Blush.

Thankfully, I didn't. I decided to stop acting hesitant, because this was Percy, after all. He wasn't some cute guy who I just met. He was my best friend. So why is it awkward?

"I, uh, only got food from McDonalds," Percy said, pulling me out from my thoughts. He blushed. "Sorry."

"It's alright," I said, smiling a little. "I'm completely fine with that. Uh, hey, did you buy me some hash brown?" Percy cracked smile.

"Of course, Wise Girl," he said. "Only the best hash brown for the cutest princess." Okay, my cheeks gave away, and so did my ears. They were now a deep tinge of pink.

Percy laughed when he saw my face.

"You're so adorable," he teased as he pinched both my cheeks so hard, they turned red.

"Stop it," I grumbled. "Let's eat lunch." Percy grinned and shrugged. Then he handed me a paper plate and my spoon and fork, then he carefully piled two hash browns in it and one cheeseburger. Then he got his own plate and put two cheeseburgers in it, along with fries, and a hash brown. I gaped at him.

"What?" Percy protested when he saw me staring at him and his plate.

"Are you serious?" I asked incredulously. "You're gonna eat all of that?"

"Yeah," Percy said, protectively hugging his plate. Some of the fries spilled and he hastily picked them up and stuffed them in his mouth. I laughed.

"I wonder why you're not fat," I said. "And dead." Percy pouted and took a bite on his cheeseburger. He sighed.

"Heaven," he said dreamily. I just shook my head and started eating my own cheeseburger. Several moments later, Percy burped a little. He had finished his cheeseburger, and he was getting ready to devour the second.

"Seriously?" I said, raising my eyebrows. "I'm not even done with my own food, and I'm super tired." Percy grinned.

"Well, I'm _super _hungry, so, yeah." With that, he ate his second cheeseburger.

We didn't have a proper lunch, actually. It was more like we were just chilling out under the shade of a tree, and we just happen to had food with us. I stole his fries after a while.

After he downed his Coke and finished his cheeseburgers and hash brown, Percy decided it was time for some peace. He said he'd wanted to take a nap, but because he didn't bring any pillow, he decided to use my lap as one.

And here I am now, blushing the hell out of myself as Percy smiled contentedly with his eyes closed. What was wrong with me?

After a few seconds, Percy asked (with his eyes still closed), "Did you have fun training today?"

"Huh?" I stupidly asked. "Oh, um…" I looked down at me arms, which were now light pink instead of red. But it still had these bumps, though. "I love volleyball, but I'd hardly call today's training _fun._" Percy sat up so suddenly, I wondered why he didn't get whiplash.

"What's wrong?" His sea-green eyes were suddenly so full of concern. Then he noticed my arms, and he frowned.

"What's this?" Percy asked, examining my arms. He softly touched the rashes.

"Oh, it's nothing," I said quickly. "It's just because of the training. Calypso said I've got an allergic reaction."

"Allergic reaction," Percy repeated. "Well, I'm gonna get you to the clinic." With that, he quickly kissed the fingers in my right hand, which he was holding. Then, he stood up and pulled me with him.

"Come on," Percy said. "Let's go see Nurse Emily."

"What about this?" I asked, gesturing to our little picnic mess.

"I'll take care of that later," Percy said. "Let's go." We both made our way to the clinic. After knocking, Percy opened the door and pulled me in.

"Hello?" he called. "Is anybody home? Nurse Emily?" No answer. Then, after a few seconds,

"Who is there?"

"Percy Jackson," Percy replied. "I, uh, brought a patient?" The nurse, Emily, emerged from the back of the big shelf behind her desk. She was just as I remembered her, the day Percy brought me here while I was unconscious after being hit by a ball. Emily smiled when she saw me.

"Ah, Annabeth," she said. "I remember you. You're the same girl Percy brought here after you got hit by a ball, right?"

"Uh, yes." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Percy look down. Was he blushing?

"Why are you here?" Emily asked. "Are you sick? Fever? Colds?"

"Um, no," I said. I held out both my arms. "I just came to ask if you had cream or something for my arms. I play volleyball, you see, and they suddenly got like this." Emily nodded and started opening drawers. Percy still looked like he was interested in his sneakers.

"That's just normal, Annabeth," Emily said. "It's because you kept on hitting the ball. Of course your skin turns red. The rashes, though. Maybe the ball is dirty?"

"I think so," I said. I took a seat and Percy did the same. Emily came over and opened the lid of the cream, and then putting some on her fingers, she gently swiped it through the rashes in my arms (by now the redness was completely gone, except for the rash.)

After she applied it all, Emily capped the lid back and smiled.

"Don't play until you feel like it," she suggested. "And if you feel like it now, don't. Wait until you feel like your skin's not so fragile anymore, okay? If you ever have a rash again, don't hesitate to come here again."

"Thanks, Nurse," Percy said for the first time in minutes. He stood up. "We'll be going now."

After saying thanks and good-bye, Percy and I exited the clinic. He stopped to check his watch.

"It's almost one," he said. "Are you sure you wanna go training?" I rolled my eyes.

"Of course, Seaweed Brain," I said. "Come on. It's just a rash. It's nothing cream can't cure." Percy's eyes softened.

"I just don't want it to get worse," he said simply. "You know that the competitions start tomorrow. You should take care of yourself, Wise Girl." I nodded.

"Okay," I said. "Do you have training this afternoon?" Percy chewed his lip.

"Yes," he said.

"You don't sound sure."

"Yes, I do. I definitely do. I just don't want to swim for a while…" he trailed off. I frowned. Percy, not wanting to swim? That's like me not wanting to read a New York Times bestseller. It's unusual.

"Are you sick?" I asked.

"Nope," Percy replied, smiling a bit now. "I'm just tired. Do you want me to walk you to the volleyball court?"

"I'm fine," I said. "If you're tired, go rest, Percy. I'll see you guys after school." Percy sighed and nodded.

"Bye, Annabeth." With that, he gave me a one-sided hug and waved off as he walked away. I stood there for a while, and then I set off to the volleyball court.

~oOo~

Calypso was really early. Apparently, she told the others to be early, too. Now they were at the court, stretching. When she saw me, she smiled and waved.

"Hey Annabeth!" she said. I walked over to them.

"Hi."

"I'm sorry I forgot to tell you to come here at 12: 45," Calypso said breathlessly. "But anyways, you're here. Are your arms okay, now?" I shrugged.

"They're better." I heard footsteps and we turned to see Rachel, hugging her duffel bag close to her and running.

"Sorry I'm late," she panted. "Hi, Annabeth."

"Hi, Rach." I waved back. Calypso smiled.

"You're not late, Rachel. You and Annabeth could change now." Rachel and I nodded and we both went to the locker rooms. While Rachel took of her shirt to change into our volleyball jersey, I went and washed my arms.

"Hey, they're okay now!" Rachel said, noticing them. I smiled.

"Yeah," I said. "Percy took me to the clinic and the nurse applied some cream on it. Works like magic." At the mention of Percy's name, Rachel's green eyes seemed to harden a little bit.

"You're so lucky to have a friend like him, you know," she said. The tone of her voice was almost wistful. Now I was almost sure that she _did _like Percy. I just pursed my lips and shrugged.

After I dried my arms, I got my volleyball jersey from my purple duffel bag and took my shirt off. Then I slipped the jersey on.

The silence was so awkward, so I decided to speak up. But my mouth kind of took me by surprise.

"Rachel, can I ask you a question?" I said. Crap. Sometimes, I really want to put duct tape in my mouth.

"Sure," Rachel said. Well, there's no turning back now.

"Do you like Percy?" Rachel seemed taken aback, but after a while she nodded.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked nervously. I smiled and shook my head.

"Not really," I assured her. "But don't worry. You're one of the girls who like Percy."

"Do you like him too?" Rachel asked. Uh-oh.

"Not the way you think," I lied. "But I like him. He's a good friend." Rachel sighed.

"Good," she said. "I mean, I just feel like I don't have a chance for him." _So do I._

"Why'd you say that?" I asked.

"A lot of girls are after him, you know," Rachel said. "Pretty girls. Hot girls. Popular girls. While me? Well, I'm just Rachel. An artist. A nerd. I don't think Percy will ever like me." It suddenly dawned on me that Rachel and I thought the same way.

"It's okay, Rachel," I said gently. "You guys could be friends, you know." Okay, wait, did I just encourage her to be friends with Percy? Endorser alert.

"Actually, Percy and I were a thing before," Rachel said. "At least I thought we were, though." I frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"We were friends before," Rachel explained. "I still think we are. Actually, we still are. But not like before. We were very close since we were in seventh grade. But then things started going downhill during the spring break of ninth grade. My family and I went to Italy, and I invited Percy to come. And then, I kind of admitted I liked him. And after that… well, Percy kinda drifted away from me." She sighed and looked down.

"I knew Percy didn't like me back, but I still felt like he was so unfair. He shouldn't have detached himself from me. Sure, he's still sweet and caring to me, but it was all brotherly. We remained friends, but it was all genial, not the same goofiness anymore. This senior year, I'm hoping we'd have the same friendship."

"I'll tell Percy about it," I told her. "I'm sure he'll be glad to be friends with you again." Rachel smiled at me.

"Thanks, Annabeth," she said. Then she just stared at me for a while, and I started to feel uncomfortable.

"What is it?" I asked hesitantly.

"You're aware that Percy likes you, right?" she asked. "I mean, it's practically obvious to the whole university."

"What?" I asked incredulously. "What are you talking about?" Rachel smiled.

"I don't think you've never noticed the way he looks at you," she said, a teasing tone in her voice. "I mean, come on, Annabeth. You guys even have nicknames for each other! That's so cute. Seriously, though. Percy likes you." I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant about it when deep inside my stomach was fluttering butterflies.

"Well," Rachel said after a while, "I'm just gonna go ahead. I'll see you later, okay? We'll be at the same team, Annie." With that, she winked and disappeared out of the door.

I stared at my shoes in thought.

Was Rachel telling the truth?

I hope she did.

**Ah... I just love Percabeth so much *sighs* Hey guys. Another Sunday update. Thankfully, my wifi's back to normal again, but yeah, as demigods, we know we shouldn't tempt Fate, so shhhh! xD Anyway, how'd you like this chapter? Tell me what you think!**

** And oh, I made an account in Wattpad because I'm writing an original story and I might post it there after writing Of Love and Royals... it's MissCellist19. Tell me your account name too, if you have one!**

** Review, Follow, Favorite, and have a nice day!**

**-Bluecookies19**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Annabeth

I hit the ground hard and I winced as I felt my arms graze against the hard floor. I didn't care, though. I received the ball properly, and had it just where Calypso wanted it. I looked up for a split-second and saw her smile as she jumped up high in the air and spiked the ball to the opponent's court.

The audience cheered and clapped as the announcer said, "And Goode scores again! It is 18-12, folks. Favor to Goode." Calypso helped me up. She smiled at me.

"Good work there," she said breathlessly.

"Thanks," I panted. I looked down at my arms, which had started to bleed at the scrapes. "Uh…" Calypso seemed to notice my arm and she frowned.

"Oh, what happened here?" she asked worriedly. "Don't worry. We'll get you a sub for now." With that, she turned to Coach and gave him the signal that we needed a substitute. Coach nodded and Gwen Collins came in, a panicked and excited expression on her face.

Meanwhile, the nurse hired in case of any injury caused by the game tended to the little scrapes on my arms. She wasn't the only one, though. Standing next to her was Percy, a smile on his face but worry in his green eyes.

"Hey," he said as soon as I sat down on the chair. He sat down next to me. "Great job over there."

"Thanks," I said, smiling back at him. Percy's green eyes sparkled happily, and I'll admit he looked really cute. He looked like a schoolboy who was given five chocolate bars even when his mom arranged him a healthy diet. But then his smile disappeared and he took my hands and examined my cuts.

"How're your arms?" he asked.

"Still parts of my body," I said, smiling a little as I looked down. "Ugh. Why do my arms keep being sticks in the mud every time I play? First the rash, now this." Percy chuckled.

"Well, maybe they just want you to rest for a while," he said. "Or they're sick of kissing the ball's ass every time you receive." I chuckled a little and the nurse (she wasn't Emily) came with a container of cotton balls and a bottle of alcohol.

Percy held my hand as the nurse dabbed alcohol on my arm. I winced and squeezed Percy's hand, and he would only smile faintly and squeeze mine back harder. Finally, after cleaning out my cuts and grazes, the nurse wiped my arm with cool, scented wet wipes and told me it was fine now. I stood up and Percy went with me, his arm around my shoulder as we both went to sit on the benches in front of the court, where the volleyball substitutes sat. I was the only one player sitting now, except for Percy.

"Can you still play?" Percy asked, looking at my arms. I shrugged.

"Sure," I said. "I mean, I scraped my arms because of the cement. I use the front of my forearms to play, not the back. Could you imagine me, like, twisting my arms so the back part of them can receive the ball?" I started laughing at the thought. Percy, meanwhile, just looked at me with a small smile on his face. His sea-green eyes held an expression I can't quite put my finger on. Was it thoughtful? No… I think the word was _wistful._

"I'm gonna play the next set," I said, to change the subject. "I'll let Gwen play for a while." Percy smiled and did something that surprised me –he grabbed my hand and entwined his fingers with mine. His thumb rubbed circles on my skin. My breath hitched a bit. Isn't this what couples do? But, hey, Percy's my best friend, aside from Thalia. I'm sure it's normal for best friends to hold hands, right? But then, it's normal if they didn't have feelings for each other, except for brother/sister protectiveness and love. And I'm pretty sure our friendship isn't like that. I don't know about Percy, but you guys know I like him. A lot. But not enough to make me lose control and start blushing and giggling like crazy.

So I thought, why not act like it's normal for me too, then? Butterflies aside, I let a small smile appear on my lips and I leaned my head on Percy's shoulder. I could feel his smile turn into a grin, and I couldn't help but think that his heart, which was audible to me since my head was in his shoulder, was beating faster and louder.

Was I the reason why it did? I don't know. But I sure hope so.

~oOo~

We went to Piccolo Angolo that night, to celebrate the little victories we all had –Piper won against Oklahoma, Jason's team won against Los Angeles and Percy won against a lot of schools. As for me, well, our volleyball team won against Oregon and the game after that which was against Houston.

We chose a table next to the windows, and we talked about what a wonderful evening it was and how we're gonna try eating exemplary pasta and pizza and whatever. It was Jason's treat tonight, and since this was only the first day of the sports fest, well, maybe we're gonna go to different restaurants if we still won a lot.

The waiter came to us and asked us for our orders. We asked for pizza and pasta and Coke, and the waiter bowed and disappeared.

"So," Percy said, "it's Saturday tomorrow. The sports fest continues Monday. I say we go somewhere?

"Good idea!" Piper chirped, clapping her hands excitedly. "Um, short trip to Malibu?" Jason smiled at her.

"Pipes, Malibu is far away from New York," he said.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Beauty Queen, but I'm afraid Malibu's out," Leo said, grinning.

"Oh, wait, what about that beach you and your Mom go to, Percy?" Hazel suggested. "Montauk?"

"Yeah," Percy said, his eyes lighting up. "That's nice."

"A night in there," Frank said. He grinned. "I'd love that."

"Well, what about we pack our things after dinner?" I suggested.

"Definitive," Leo said, smiling. "Okay, I say we have a little BBQ, campfire, fun games, and of course, swimming and food. I'll take care of the barbeque. You guys go ahead with whatever's left." I didn't exactly like Leo's idea of _fun games._ But the others just shrugged and mumbled, "sure," and "okay by me."

The waiter arrived with our food, and we talked while we ate, stopping every once in a while to say, "This penne pasta is really good," or "Oh, wow. I wanna stay hungry." After we finished eating, we stayed for a while. I mean, no rush for us. It was Friday, after all. And we were just a bunch of teenagers wanting to hang out during nights like these… only we chose to go to an Italian restaurant instead of a club or something like that.

We decided to leave at eight or so (we had an early dinner). Besides, we still had better places to go to so we could have more fun. Seriously, we couldn't laugh to our hearts' content when we were at the restaurant, because adults would turn to our direction. Some would smile at the sight of young people having fun, but some would glare and probably think the universal adult judgment for youngsters like us: _teenagers these days. _

Jason brought his car, while Percy brought his truck. Piper, Leo, Frank and Hazel rode with him because Leo claimed that it was hot and he wanted AC. Frank and Hazel could ride anywhere as long as they're together, so they just went with Jason and Piper.

So that left Nico, Thalia, Percy, and me. But just as Percy went to the driver's seat, Nico said, "Hey, Percy, can I drive?" Percy gave him a puzzled look, and he shrugged.

"I don't like sitting on the back," he said. "The wind makes my hair whip my face." Percy handed him the keys, and then Thalia slipped inside the passenger's seat.

"Thalia!" Percy said. "Annabeth's gonna sit in there." Thalia glared at him and turned to me.

"Annie, can I sit here?" she asked, her voice sarcastically sweet. "I'm just tired." I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"Sure," I said. "It's all yours, Thals." This time, Thalia smiled genuinely and hopped inside. Percy turned to me.

"So," he said, "I hope you don't mind sitting behind?" I shrugged.

"It's okay," I said. "Besides, I've never tried riding on the back of a pick-up. Must be fun. I'll try and stand." Percy grinned and we both went to the back part. He climbed first and helped me up. I tried to ignore the electric tingles that I felt when he held my hand. I tried not to blush as I heaved myself up.

"Are you guys okay over there?" Nico called from the front.

"Yeah, I think so," Percy called back.

"Don't do something I wouldn't do back there, you guys," Thalia warned, but I could hear the grin on her voice. I felt like my face was hotter than Vesuvius when it was about to erupt. I looked at Percy, and well, his face couldn't be more different from mine. He was literally _red. _But he managed to laugh and shoot a retort at Thalia.

"Same to you in front, Thalia," he said. For a moment, silence. And then,

"EWW!" Thalia shrieked. "You're so fucking gross. Death Breath is my cousin, douchebag!"

"Do not call me Death Breath," Nico grumbled.

"Whatever," Thalia replied. "I'll get you for this, Perseus." Percy just laughed and rapped the glass with his knuckles.

"Good luck with that, Pinecone Face," he said. Thalia was named Pinecone Face ever since she ran straight into a pine tree last week for no reason.

"Shut it, Kelp Head." Percy chuckled and pulled something that covered the glass. Then, he smiled and sat down, leaning against the wall.

"They can't hear us now," he said. I went over and sat down next to him, hugging my knees close to my chest.

"It's a lovely evening," I said, looking up at the stars illuminating the cloudless sky. I could feel Percy smile next to me, and I swallowed a lump blocking my throat. Isn't this one of the moments where the guy kisses the girl or something? It's like, they're out staring at the stars and then suddenly the boy leans forward and kisses the girl…

Ugh. I should really stop making book references.

"Yeah," Percy said. "Its prettiness reminds me of someone." I tried to ignore the fact that he was looking at me when he said that. To avoid blushing, I stood up and inhaled the cool air blowing in my face.

"Wow," I breathed out. The feeling was so… tranquil. I remembered the scene from one of my favorite books, _The Perks of Being a Wallflower, _where Charlie did the same thing as me and he'd said, "We are infinite." Well, I feel infinite, too. Until I felt Percy standing next to me, too.

He took a deep breath and smiled. With the wind blowing his dark hair and the moonlight illuminating on his perfect face, I could almost say that Percy looked _beautiful. _Only, he wasn't. He was too masculine and boyish to be beautiful. But he was almost there. I hope my intake of breath wasn't too obvious.

Percy turned to me and grinned, showing his perfect teeth. Did I look like a gaping fish?

Yeah. I guess you could say that.

I mean, I've never met someone this attractive my whole life, except for Luke and Alex Pettyfer… okay, maybe I did meet a lot of attractive people. But none who could make my heart beat like this.

Dang it. I'm starting to sound like a love-struck girly girl. I need to stop this crap. I got rid of my Percy thoughts, but then he just had to say something, like the Seaweed Brain he was.

"Wise Girl," Percy said quietly, and I realized that he was staring at me. BUTTERFLIES: ATTACK!

"Huh?" was my intelligent response. Oh, the irony. Just when he had called me Wise Girl. Percy gulped and I swear I saw his face was pink. Was he blushing? Yep. He was.

"What is it?" I said. He hesitated, then he smiled and shook his head.

"Nothing," he said. "Goode's still a long way off. Why don't you sleep for a while?"

"You've got a pillow?" I asked. Percy grinned.

"Nope, but I've got something better," he said. With that, he sat down and pulled me with him. Then, he pulled my head so that it leaned on his shoulder.

"That's better than a pillow, isn't it?" Percy said, chuckling a little. I didn't answer. I was too busy dealing with the pests inside my stomach. Then suddenly, just like what he did on the game a while ago, Percy grabbed my hand and intertwined his fingers with mine. Seriously, was he trying to make my stomach explode?

"Good night, Wise Girl," he said quietly. I yawned and smiled.

"Good night, Seaweed Brain," I said. I felt Percy kiss my hair, and then with one last dreamy thought, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

**So... hi. I know I've been writing a lot Percabeth lately, so I hope you don't get sick of it :) I'm having a pretty hectic schedule this week, and I'm super tired and am developing a headache but I still update because I love you guys (and Percabeth).**

** Also, these answers to some reviews:**

** Cup-Daughter of Percabeth: No, I'm not from Colorado. But it must be a coincidence. Thanks for loving my story! :D**

** Kfromcabin6: Thanks for loving my story, too. And don't worry; An Annabeth-taking-care-of-Percy thing would happen soon enough ;) And I also update once a week.**

** Thanks to all who reviewed, too. Love y'all.**

** P. S. : When do you guys want the kiss? I'm currently writing Chapter 17.**

** Review, Follow, Favorite, and have a nice day!**

**-Bluecookies19**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Percy

I woke up early the next day with my bags packed and ready to go. I decided to bring just one duffel bag with sleep things and clothes for the next day, since we were gonna camp out in Montauk. I took a shower and changed into my favorite shirt, jeans, and sneakers. I got my jacket and my bag and headed out.

Mom already knew I was going to Montauk. She just told me to leave a note in the fridge whenever I was leaving. So while I grabbed a box of cereal and a half-full gallon of milk from the fridge, I quickly scribbled, _Hey, Mom, I'm off _to a Post It note and taped it into the fridge. I shoved my food inside my mouth and put my empty bowl into the sink. Then, I went outside.

I didn't know why I was rushing. Maybe I'm just excited to go back to Montauk. Or maybe I'm just excited to go have fun with my friends. Or maybe I'm excited to see Annabeth. Ugh. Why do I keep thinking of her so much? I hated it. It felt like I can't get her out of my mind.

I dumped my bag into the passenger seat and hopped inside. I revved the engine and drove out. We'd agreed to meet at Goode. Frank and Leo would go there, and well, the girls lived in the dorms, so they'd be there, too. Annabeth would be there, too.

Here I go again.

I arrived in Goode minutes later. It was still a bit early, so traffic wasn't that bad. Turned out I was the last to arrive. All of them were standing at the gates already.

"YO PERCY!" It was Leo. Of course. He was always the first to greet me. "Dude, what took you so long?"

"I had to put make-up on first," I said sarcastically. "So, you guys ready?"

"Uh, not really," Jason said. "We don't have chips and soda?" I frowned and got out the truck.

"I thought Leo was in charge of that?"

"Nu-uh," Leo piped up. "I said I was in charge if the barbeque. Not all the food."

"Why don't we go to Walmart first?" Annabeth suggested. I tried not to notice how she looked so cute today –she was wearing a white tank top underneath a red checkered flannel shirt and her Converse sneakers. She was wearing this pink lace hairband that for my opinion made her look more like a princess. That was a first, because Annabeth _never _wears anything on her hair, except for a few bobby pins on special occasions and her ponytail holder.

"Great idea," Piper said. "I mean, it's still early, anyway. Why don't we split apart?"

"Percy and I'll go to Walmart and buy the food," Annabeth volunteered. "He's got a car. You guys could go ahead to Montauk to secure us a good cabin. But…" she hesitated. "You guys could fit in Jason's car?" Everybody turned to look at Jason's silver sports car. Jason blushed and looked down.

"Probably not," he said.

"Uh, guys?" Nico said. "Frank's brought his car, you know." Everybody turned to Frank, who reddened and scratched his neck.

"Why didn't you tell us before?" Piper asked. Frank shrugged.

"I thought we could all go together," he said.

"All settled then," Leo said. "Percy and Annabeth will go to Walmart first to buy food –don't forget to buy Doritos and chips and a lot of soda, okay? –and we'll go ahead to Montauk. Okay. Let's go."

Frank, Hazel, and Leo went to Frank's car while Nico and Thalia went with Jason and Piper. Annabeth and I proceeded to my own truck and I started the engine as soon as we were both inside. I saw Annabeth smile and waved at the others as they went the other direction.

"You ready?" I asked, pulling my seatbelt on. She shrugged. "Okay…" I said. "Uh, wait." I leaned over and strapped her seatbelt over her, and I tried not to blush at the close proximity of our faces. Yep. This girl is gonna be the death of me someday.

Wait, did I just say that?

Luckily, I buckled her seatbelt before I could blush. Annabeth fidgeted in her seat, and she was looking outside the window. Her face was a bit pink, and I smiled at that. What? I couldn't help it. I revved the engine and started driving.

"Have you heard of Bon Iver's _Skinny Love?_" she asked. I frowned.

"That guy doesn't sing very well for me," I said. "Sorry if you're a fan." Annabeth shrugged.

"I don't really listen to Bon Iver," she explained. "But I like _Skinny Love. _And I listened to the song from another version by a UK artist. It's better, if you ask me. Anyway, do you know the meaning of 'skinny love'?" I shook my head and started driving.

"Two anorexic people dating each other?" I suggested. Annabeth laughed and shook her head.

"That's what I thought the first time I heard of that song," she said. "But, no. Skinny love is when two people like each other, but they're too afraid to admit it, to themselves or to the other person. But they show how they feel, anyway." Was it just me, or did this topic kind of related to what we were right now?

Whoa, wait, back up. Did I just say that? Annabeth and I were not feeling skinny love or whatever that is. But then… skinny love is when you're too afraid to admit it to yourself or to the other… maybe I'm feeling the former? Honestly, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to Annabeth. I like her. And yes, more than as a friend, but can that be considered as skinny love? I don't know.

Besides, why was she bringing this up, anyway? I snuck a look at her, but she was just staring out the window. How could she just sit there and look so beautiful? Her wind-blown hair and dimpled cheeks only made her look even more beautiful to me.

"Annabeth?" I asked, momentarily taking my eyes off the road just to look at her. She turned to me, a questioning look on her gray eyes.

"Huh?" she asked. Gods. I loved it when she responds "huh," in things I ask her. I wanted to tell her she was so beautiful, that I didn't know if I liked her or not but I'm still trying to decide and that it's more likely that I liked her, and that I wished she was more than just a friend, and if she felt the same way.

But I just smiled and shook my head.

"Nothing," I said. Annabeth shrugged.

"I'm just gonna go inside," she said. "I'll be back in ten minutes, fifteen if there's a line. Just hang in here, okay, Percy?" I grinned.

"Not gonna go anywhere," I promised, smiling at her teasingly. She rolled her eyes.

"Do you think you have a choice?" she teased back. "Okay. I'll go now." With that, she slammed the door shut and walked inside the store.

I just smiled and turned to the radio on as I waited for Annabeth to come back.

~oOo~

Annabeth

I really hate Percy sometimes. He's so darn sweet. And he makes me feel these things I've never felt before. Like butterflies and blushes. I shook my head and tried to think of something else. What was I going to buy? Ah. Chips and soda. All those unhealthy stuff. I grabbed a cart and went to the junk food section.

As I passed the candy and sweets aisle, I saw a little girl tugging at her father's pants.

"Daddy!" she whined. "I want some cwandy!" Her father smiled and gently pried off her little hands from his pants.

"Now, Lily," he said. "It's too early for candy. I'll ask Mommy to buy you some later, honey." Lily pouted.

"But I want some now," she said. "Pwease, Daddy." Her dad sighed and smiled, and he grabbed a big lollipop.

"Here you go," he said, smiling at his daughter. "No more later, okay, sweetheart?"

"Okay!" Lily grinned, showing a missing tooth. Her dad smiled and kissed her forehead, and then they both went away to another aisle.

I can't help but feel a little sad after that. That little girl was so lucky to have a father. Sure, everybody has a dad, but I haven't seen mine since I was born. I wanted to have a father. I have always believed that I was a princess not because I had a prince, but because my dad was a king. My dad wasn't a king, but at least, he's my father. I wanted to grow up with a loving dad, who would come into my room in the middle of the night and scare away the monsters living under my bed. Someone who would love Mom and me. I wonder where Dad was. Would he still remember me if he sees me?

I shook the sad thoughts away as I arrived at the junk section. I grabbed a few bags of chips and then headed out to get soda, and then I went to the counter to pay. My little shopping was shorter than I thought it would be, and soon I was exiting the store and heading to Percy's truck. He was standing there, leaning against the hood of his car and crossing his arms.

"That was fast." Percy grinned at me and took the food from my arms. "Come on. I want you to see Montauk immediately. It's really great."

We arrived in Montauk miles later, and it was great indeed. The beach had a few cabins and some trees and the sand was fine. The sky was really blue and cloudless today, and the water was still and inviting. I didn't bring any swimwear, though, so I'd most likely be seen sitting in the sand later, drawing graphs or blueprints on the sand.

On our way to the cabins, Percy whooped and gushed to me how he and his mom used to go here every year when he was still a kid. I imagined a little Percy, with his bright ocean eyes and dark hair as he tumbled clumsily along the beach.

We had rented two cabins –one for the girls and one for the boys. There was a stone hearth for a campfire in front, along with logs surrounding it. Piper, Hazel, and Thalia were sitting on the logs, laughing at some joke Hazel said, while Leo, Jason, Frank, and Nico were off in a huddle, laughing and talking at the same time. Piper was the first to notice us.

"They're here!" she said. "Hey, guys!" She waved at us, and I smiled and waved back.

"I'm hungry, and we should eat lunch," Percy said, grinning when he saw the barbeque grill Leo had probably set up. I nudged him with my elbow.

"That's for dinner, Percy," I said. He shrugged.

"As long as it's food, Wise Girl," he said. He ran off to the others, bringing the bag of food with him. I just rolled my eyes and went to follow him.

We had the classic peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches for lunch, along with raspberry soda and the phenomenal McDonald's cheeseburgers Percy and I bought before we went here. The heat of the sun and the coolness of the breeze made us want to take a swim in the green and blue waters, but Hazel insisted we should let our stomachs digest first, or we were going to have cramps (yeah, like I was going to swim, anyway).

After waiting for twenty minutes or so, everybody (excluding me) went to change into swimwear and immediately ran into the sea. While me, well, I just changed into a pair of shorts and a thin oversized shirt that had an orange cat with a glass of tequila on its hand along with flip-flops. Then I let my hair down and went outside with my sunglasses and sketchpad.

I sat under the shade of a palm tree and watched my friends have fun in the water. Then I opened my sketchpad and got my pencil. Usually, my sketchpad consisted of replicas of famous buildings and architecture. I've drawn the Eiffel tower three times in three different sizes and styles, and I've had two pages displaying the Parthenon in Greece. There were also a lot of other drawings of buildings, too.

I was planning on drawing the Great Wall of China today, but my hand found another hobby. You see, I'm also pretty capable of drawing people, too. And now I found myself drawing a tall guy with dark messy hair and beautiful eyes and that leg-crumpling smile.

"Hi." I jumped slightly and turned to see the boy in my drawing standing next to me.

"Percy?" I asked. He grinned and sat down next to me.

"The one and only."

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "I mean, you should be in the water." He was wearing dark blue shorts and a dark blue shirt. He looked like he didn't plan on swimming.

"I didn't see you there, so I decided to look for you," Percy said, shrugging. "And I found you here."

"Why don't you go enjoy?" I asked. "Look at the water. It's perfect."

"I don't wanna enjoy when you're not there," Percy said simply. He looked at me and smiled. "Why don't you go and swim?"

"First of all, I don't know how to swim," I said. "And I came unprepared. No swimsuits or anything. I don't want to go out on the sun, too. It's so hot."

"The hotter the sun and the cooler the water, the better," Percy said, smirking. "Do you wanna go there, Wise Girl? Or could I carry you there?" I glowered at him.

"Don't you even dare," I said. Percy smiled and pinched my nose.

"You're cute as hell, you know that?" he teased. I rolled my eyes.

"Is hell cute?" I asked dryly. Percy shrugged.

"Dunno. I've never been there," he said. "But it's not cute, though."

"You're going there if you ever dare bringing me into the beach," I said, punching his shoulder. I winced when my knuckles collided with pure muscles. The heck? How could Percy have that amount of brawn? He was still seventeen. He seemed to notice this, because he laughed and took my hand.

"Does it hurt?" he asked. He was teasing, but I could still see the hint of concern on his voice. "Sorry if I'm so hot, Annabeth. I'm surprised it hasn't blinded you yet." I snorted.

"Please," I said flatly. "I'm immune to hotness of cocky people." Percy laughed again and did something that surprised me. He kissed my knuckles, and I swear it sent a thousand butterflies into my stomach. Dang.

"There," he said, as though he didn't notice what effect he had just done to me. "All good now."

"All good," I repeated. I raised an eyebrow. "You sure you don't want to go to the water?" Percy was still holding my hand, and I was sure that I was going to spontaneously combust if he didn't let go of it sooner.

"I'm tired," Percy said, yawning. "I think I'm gonna go sleep." With that, he closed his eyes and leaned his head on my shoulder. His grip on my hand tightened, and I hid my smile. I could get used to this hand-holding for a while.

~oOo~

"So," Piper said as we sat down on the log in front of the stone hearth.

"So what?" I asked. It was already afternoon, and the boys were playing volleyball along with Hazel and Thalia. The sun was beginning to set, casting beautiful streaks of pink, orange, and red across the skies.

"You didn't enter the water a while ago," Piper said. "Where were you?"

"Oh, I was under one of those palm trees," I said, repressing the memory of Percy and me under the tree a while ago. "You know, sketching."

"Sketching," Piper repeated slowly, as though she didn't believe me. "Really?"

"Yeah!" I said, starting to get defiant. "I sketched!"

"What did you draw?" I blushed a little.

"The usual," I lied. "Buildings and tourist spots… you know."

"I see," Piper said, smiling at me teasingly.

"Really, Pipes?" I said. "What are you on about?" Piper sighed and let out a squeal.

"I saw you were with Percy a while ago," she said excitedly. "You guys were so sweet! He eve leaned his head on your shoulder!"

"He was sleeping!" I said exasperatedly. "At least I thought he was, though."

"But he was holding your hand!" Piper reasoned out. Seriously, she could see that far? "And no guy holds someone's hand when they're asleep." I rolled my eyes.

"Piper, we're just friends," I said simply. Piper snorted.

"Yeah. _Friends,_" she said. "I bet you my dad's car that you guys will be dating each other soon enough."

"I don't want your dad's car and we're not dating," I said.

"Soon enough," Piper added. I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever." I sighed and pushed stray hair away from my face. "Look, Pipes. Percy and I… we're not-"

"Annabeth!" I turned to see Percy running towards us, his eyes alight and his hair a bit damp with sweat. Piper smirked teasingly at me. I ignored her.

"What is it?" I asked Percy. He stopped in front of me.

"We're on the losing side," he explained breathlessly. "We need a libero. Come on, Annabeth." With that, he grabbed my hand and yanked me to my feet. Piper cleared her throat, looking at our hands pointedly. I blushed.

"Percy," I said, "I don't want to play-"

"Oh for goodness' sake," he said, rolling his eyes. "Come on, Wise Girl." With that, he scooped me off my feet and carried me to where the others were. I saw Piper and she was giving me a smile, like she was saying, _I told you so._ I sighed and let Percy drag me to where they were playing.

I ended up playing volleyball with them that afternoon. But it was okay, though. At least Percy and I were on the same team.

~oOo~

"I wonder what roasted chocolate tastes like." I twisted my marshmallow stick in front of me, thrusting it out the fire, but not too close to actually roast the chocolate marshmallow. Percy shrugged and plucked the marshmallow away from my stick and shoving it inside his mouth.

"Hey!" I protested.

"It's still chocolate," Percy said, his voice muffled by the marshmallow inside his mouth. He swallowed. "Roasted or not, it still is." We were all sitting in front of our campfire now, for the part 2 of our dinner. First we had a delicious meal of spicy barbeque which Leo called "Barbeque ala Leo," and downed a few cups of Coke. Now we were having dessert.

Since the breeze had picked up, I was now bundled in the thickest sweats I had and this army jacket that belonged to Percy. Our cabins had bathrooms in them, and I have taken a cold shower after playing volleyball that afternoon. I impaled another marshmallow on my stick and pushed it to the fire.

"The stars are beautiful tonight," Piper commented. Jason's arm was around her shoulder, and she smiled contentedly. "What do you say we camp outside tonight?"

"Star-gazing would be great," Hazel said, smiling. Thalia nodded blankly.

"I want to sleep in the water," she said. "Like, back-floating. Percy, could you sleep while floating?" Percy shrugged.

"Dunno," he said. "Never tried."

"Gonna be the first, then," Thalia said, grinning.

"Good luck drowning, Thals," Nico said, snickering. She shot him a glare, and we continued eating, talking along the way. We talked about the people in school, about Drew Tanaka's new boyfriends, about how Nancy Bobofit developed zits and how she freaked out about it, about Andrew Patterson's Ferrari got paintball-ambushed by the Stolls, and so on. We also talked horror stories and about secrets and jokes.

When it was past nine, the campfire slowly flickered out and Jason called out. We all rose and grabbed our sleeping bags, laying them out in a circle on the ground. Percy laid his blue sleeping bag next to my purple one and yawned.

"Good night, y'all," he said. And then he was asleep in his covers. We all said goodnight, and then the fire had completely died out, leaving the moon and stars' light as the only source of illumination. Piper and Hazel were still talking about constellations, but they eventually quieted down and fell asleep. I didn't.

Instead, I looked up at the star-filled night sky and tried to pinpoint my favorite constellations. How I would have loved to teach Percy about them. But when I turned my head to look at him, he was already fast asleep. There was a bit drool tracking down from his mouth, and I smiled. Seaweed Brain.

Since there were no clouds, I couldn't count sheep, so I counted stars. But they were so many, I lost track. I lay there for about ten minutes. I couldn't sleep. So I stood up quietly and wrapped my blanket around myself. I found my flip-flops and started making my way to the beach.

When I reached the beach, I sat down a few meters away from the water. I liked how the silence engulfed me –filling me with tranquility and stuff. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Somehow, the incidents a while ago at the grocery store came back to me, and I thought about my dad. When will I see him again?

I didn't have time to answer my own question because I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Percy walking towards me, his hair messy and his face sleepy, but his green eyes were alight.

"Hey," I said as he sat down next to me.

"Hi," he said and pulled my blanket so it covered the both of us. In doing so, he huddled closer to me, and I could feel his warmth.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. Percy gave me a quizzical look.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he asked back. I looked down.

"I can't sleep," I muttered. Percy smiled.

"Insomnia?" he said. "Yeah, I could feel you. I get that every time." I raised an eyebrow.

"You do?" I asked. Percy shrugged.

"I think it's because you think of something or someone too much," he said. "I usually am an insomniac because of the latter." I tried not to think of that one. I mean, who could Percy ne thinking of?

"You were sleeping," I said. Then I grinned. "You drool when you sleep." Percy's hand instantly flew to his mouth and wiped at it. I laughed.

"I don't," he whined. I smiled and wiped the side of his mouth with my thumb.

"Gross," I teased. But there was something strange, I realized. Percy was holding my hand with his, and his sea-green eyes stared into mine with what looked like… I don't know, _longing_? Sounds like shit for me.

"Yuck," I said awkwardly, wiping my thumb on his shirt. Percy let go of my hand and looked down on the sand. I put my hand down on my lap and pursed my lips. I heard Percy's sharp intake of breath. Was he… angry?

"What made you an insomniac tonight?" he asked. When I looked at him, he was smiling. I felt a sense of relief, but I also felt a bit sad. I bit my lip and took a breath.

"I gotta tell you something," I said. Percy nodded and huddled closer. I exhaled cuttingly.

"My dad isn't a royal," I began. "He was a rare commoner. He met my mom when she was on an English boarding school, and when they graduated, they kind of dated and had me. They never got married, though." Percy raised an eyebrow.

"So you mean…" he said, "you're just half-royal?" I nodded.

"Sort of," I said. "But Mom says that her royal bloodline ran deep, so royal blood is more dominant on me. Since she's not supposed to marry anyone who's not royalty, well… they broke up, and she took me with her when I was just a baby. I never met my dad." Percy's green eyes softened, and he put an arm around my shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I never knew." I smiled and leaned against him, smelling his ocean scent.

"You don't have to be," I said. "I mean… your dad." I hesitated, because I knew this was a touchy subject for Percy.

"It's okay," he said. "You could talk about dad. I'm sorry about your dad, too. Now that I know, I've realized that we're alike."

"How?" Percy shrugged.

"Dunno, aside from being cute and good-looking, we're both fatherless?" Despite the fact that it was quite personal, I laughed, feeling warmth course through me. I removed my head from Percy's shoulder to look him in the eyes.

"What?" he asked. I grinned.

"Thanks," I said. He cocked an eyebrow.

"For what?"

"Well…" I ticked reasons off from my fingers. "First, for being a good friend. Second, for being there for me when I need you. Third, um… thanks for…"

"Thanks for being super attractive?" Percy grinned. "Yeah. No problem." I punched him lightly.

"Whatever you say." I leaned back to him. "Thanks, Percy. For everything." I could feel Percy's smile.

"Anytime, Wise Girl." He kissed the top of my forehead. He hesitated for a moment, and then he said, "Love you." My heart skipped a beat on that. Did he just say those words to me? But I mentally shook my head. He did. But he meant as a friend.

"Love you too," I replied, keeping the playfulness in my voice to hide the butterflies in my stomach. I closed my eyes and this time, I was the one who took his hand and interlocked my fingers against his.

**Hey guys. Another Percabeth in here. So I know I asked you guys when you want the kiss and some of you requested it to happen either on Chapter 17 or this beach episode, but... nah. Sorry about that. But I assure you, a kiss is gonna happen soon enough.****  
**

** Fun fact: I was actually gonna put the kiss on Chapter 15, where Percy's gonna admit his feelings and suddenly kisses Annabeth, but I felt like I wasn't ready to pt in a kiss yet. So, yeah. Patience, grasshoppers :D**

** Review, Follow, Favorite, and have a nice day!**

**-Bluecookies19**

** _Chapter 17_**

**_ "As she talked, I could feel myself falling harder..."_**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Annabeth

It's amazing how time flew so fast; it's already December. New York wasn't one for a White Christmas, but some snow had started in and the weather was already cold, so now students were all wrapped up in the thick coats that were part of the school uniform which was only used during winter season. We even had this cool velvet caps for girls.

Anyway, it was Tuesday today, and I've noticed that Percy was absent since yesterday. I wonder where he was. I guess I'm gonna have to go find out later. I met up with the rest of my friends for lunch, and we talked about how the school was now decorated with elegant Christmas decorations, like mistletoes and huge candy canes and bells and all those other stuff. We probably had twelve giant Christmas trees in the whole campus.

School passed by quickly. I aced a test in Math, got bored in English, read _Allegiant_ (and cried again) during Study Hall, and did other stuff. After the last period, I met up with Jason and asked him why Percy was absent.

"Missed your boyfriend?" Jason teased. When I glared at him, he raised his hand up in surrender. "Sorry, Annie. Don't know. I've tried texting him, but he hasn't replied." He scratched his forehead. "His mom went out of the city for a few days. Maybe Percy went with her."

"Oh," I said. "Maybe." But I knew it couldn't be. If Percy was out of town, he would've told us. Then an idea hit me. Percy once told me his address, in an attempt to make me visit so I'd help him in his Calculus. I still remember it.

"So, Annabeth," Jason said, snapping me out of my thoughts, "um, is Piper there?"

"What? Oh. Yeah," I said. "Umm… I'll go tell her you're gonna visit. I'll be back." With that, I rushed off to my dorm room. Piper wasn't there, but I heard laughter and music on the next room which belonged to Thalia. So I quickly changed into a pair of jeans, a gray shirt, and my converse. I tied my hair in a ponytail and grabbed a jacket, and then I got my bag and headed out.

I knocked on Thalia's door. I wasn't answered immediately (maybe because of the music), but soon the door opened and Thalia's face was revealed.

"Annie!" she said. "Hi! You wanna come join us?" I smiled and shook my head.

"I'll join you when I get back," I promised. "I've got somewhere to go. Can you tell Piper that Jason's waiting for her outside, and that I'll be back by evening?"

"My brother's flirting again." Thalia groaned. "That little prick. Okay, Annie. Bye!"

"Bye, Thalia," I said, and I headed out. I met Jason back on the way out and I told him to wait for Piper there. He said yes, and then I went outside the gates to wait for a cab. I didn't mind calling Percy or anything –it's not like he was going to answer, anyway. Suddenly I didn't know if I should be angry or worried for him. Was he in trouble, or was he simply ignoring me and my friends? A scowl crossed my face as I thought about that. If it was the latter, I'd give him a piece of my mind when I get to his apartment.

I saw a taxi cab and got inside, telling the driver the address. Several minute later, we arrived in front of a huge apartment complex. It was at least five stories tall. I went to the entrance, where there was a guard, who was a man in his middle-age and had graying hair and warm brown eyes.

"I'm here to visit, umm…" What was Percy's mom's name? Maybe I could say Paul Blofis? But just as I opened my mouth to say Paul's name, the guard snapped his fingers.

"I know you!" He said. "You're Annabeth Chase, right?"

"How do you know me?" I asked. I was suddenly worried that maybe he knew me because I was a princess. That can't be.

"You know Percy Jackson?" the guard said. "Well, the boy and I talk a lot. And ever since school started he never stops talking about a girl names Annabeth Chase, who happened to be 'the prettiest girl I have ever seen.'" The guard made quotation marks in the air when he said the last line. I tried not to blush at that, and he grinned.

"Don't worry, little girl," he said. "I'm sure Percy's expecting you to come. I've noticed ever since his mom and step-dad went to California last Saturday, he didn't go out of his apartment." I frowned.

"He didn't go with them?" I asked. The guard shook his head. "What happened to him?"

"I don't know," he said. "You go find out. You know his door?" I nodded. The guard smiled.

"Okay," he said. "Good-luck." I nodded and made my way to the second floor, where Percy's apartment was. I soon reached the certain door, and I tentatively knocked on it. What if he didn't answer? Would I wait in here until he does? But it seemed like he didn't have to. When I gripped the doorknob, it was already open.

I sucked in a breath and opened the door. The inside was huge and beautiful. Everything was sophisticated. Of course. Paul worked in Goode –they could afford an apartment like this.

"Percy?" I called out. No answer. So I tried to look for Percy's room. At first I opened the master's bedroom and then the guest room until I reached a door with a surfboard sign that said _I am Awesome._ I rolled my eyes. Yeah, this would be it.

I knocked on the door. No answer again, so I quietly opened it and went inside. The room was so… blue. Seriously, the walls, the curtains, the cabinets, the carpet –everything was blue, in different hues and tones. On the center of the room was a bed, and lying on it was Percy. He was fast asleep.

I went over to him and grabbed the blue bean bag next to his bed and sat down on it. Up close, I studied Percy's sleeping face. His eyes were shut tight and his face was red, but I could only take in how innocent he looked like when he was asleep. Then I realized he was shivering, and I put my hand on his forehead. I winced. He was burning up.

So Percy had fever, and his mom and Paul we're out… Oh, gods. Poor Percy. No wonder he wasn't able to answer our calls and texts. There was no one to take care of him, and his sickness probably got worse. Suddenly all the anger inside me vanished.

"Hang in there, Seaweed Brain," I whispered. I stood up and went to the kitchen to find something that can help him. I found Tylenol on a medicine box and a few clean washcloths. I found a small basin and filled it with cold water. Then I dipped in a washcloth and hurried inside the room.

Percy was still asleep, but he had rotated so he was lying on his back, not on his side. Good. Easier for me to have a cool compress on him. I sat back on the bean bag and put the Tylenol and the glass of water on his bedside table. Then I got the washcloth and wrung it so it would be dry, and then I gently wiped it on his forehead. I touched Percy's cheek. It was still hot.

I figured it could be worse. I mean, I'm sure Percy could take care of himself somehow. But a while ago, when I rummaged for medicine, I saw empty boxes of Cheerios and Fruit Loops. He was living in on cereal. I had the sudden urge to cry. Crush fact aside, I did care for Percy. He was my friend. I didn't want him to be like this. I couldn't stand it if any of my friends were like this. I remembered when I was still fourteen and Thalia's foot got sprained after she climbed the huge sycamore tree in the garden to retrieve my kite. I cried at that, and I immediately brought here to the infirmary. I never played kites after that.

After the water got a bit warmer, Percy groaned. I removed the washcloth from his forehead and put it back on the basin. Then I stood up and took it back to the kitchen. I imagined Thalia making fun of me if she finds out about this. _Nurse Annie, _she'd say, like she did when she broke her foot. _Nurse Annie, take care of me. _I shook my head and went back to Percy's room. I let him sit up, although I knew he was just half-conscious.

"Percy," I said softly. "Come on. You gotta take medicine." I got the Tylenol and put the small pill in his mouth, and then I gently put the glass out for him to drink out of. Percy was able to hold the glass, and he I gulped down water. He didn't empty the glass, but at least he drank water. I let him lie down again as I put the glass back on the table.

I checked my watch. Five thirty. I said I'd be back by evening, but I know I can't. I still had to cook Percy dinner. He didn't have a proper one since, what, Sunday?

I sat back on the bean bag and buried my face in my arms on the bed. Slowly, I felt my eyes grow heavy, and I drifted off to sleep.

~oOo~

Percy

I woke up with a start. My eyes were still hot and I still felt like I had plunged inside an abyss of fire, but I felt a little better. At least I didn't have a headache or a sore throat. So, what happened? I remembered last Saturday evening, when Mom and Paul were already gone, I had decided to try on my old skateboard. I had skated on the sidewalk near the complex. Everything was okay until a ginger cat came out of nowhere and suddenly, I was flying into the air. I landed a few meters away and my skateboard toppled somewhere off. Although I fell on a grassy patch, my ankle was broken.

The pain had been excruciating. I've never tried having a broken ankle, but by then I knew that it was really bad. I had grabbed my skateboard (which wasn't broken, thankfully) and limped to the backside of the apartment so the guard, Tony, wouldn't have to see me like this, because he'd tell Mom. I'd taken the elevator, and once I was inside my apartment, I rested. And that was when the fever set in.

Honestly, it worried the shit out of me because I rarely got fever. And Mom was always there to take care of me. But now she wasn't. I was all alone. So for two days I ate whatever was in the fridge (I don't know how to cook. Yep. Bummer) and tried to heal myself. No can do. So I stayed bedridden. Until now.

I sat up and flinched when I moved my ankle, which was probably now swollen. I looked to my side and saw a glass of water and some packets of medicine on my table. Huh. Who could possibly do that?

My question was answered when I looked down. I saw a blonde head leaning on the side of my bed.

"Annabeth?" I whispered. It was her. She was sitting on my bean bag, asleep in her own arms. Her face was turned to me, and I smiled at her innocence. She looked so sweet and vulnerable and beautiful… I just wanted to lean over and kiss her, but something held me back. So I just shook her slightly until she opened her eyes.

When she did, they were slightly unfocused at first. And then she blinked and looked at me for a moment. Then she gasped.

"You're awake!" Annabeth said, sitting up straight. "Oh, god. Percy." She stood up and hugged me tight, and I didn't hesitate to hug her back tighter, despite my weakness. When she pulled back, there were tears in her eyes, and she wiped them furiously. She didn't give me a chance to wipe them myself.

"I was so worried about you," Annabeth snapped, still crying. "All of us were worried about you. Why the fuck did you not answer our calls? What happened to you?" She punched me, a little hard, but I didn't care. She was here. And she was the one who took care of me. I caught her hand, but Annabeth jerked it away. I still held it, though.

"I got fever, that's all," I explained. "My phone was dead. Mom brought my charger with her. I'm alright, Annabeth. Please don't be angry at me." Annabeth wiped at her eyes and let out a laugh, a mix of humor and anger.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It's just that… we were so worried about you. It's unlikely of you to just be gone without telling us, you know." I smiled and kissed her fisted knuckles.

"Missed you too, Wise Girl," I teased. "I…" I shifted my foot and winced, "I've also got a broken ankle…" Annabeth's eyes widened and she flung the covers away. She gasped when she saw my swollen ankle, which had now obtained the color of a plum.

"Percy," she said, "what happened?"

"Skateboarding?" I said weakly. When Annabeth glared at me, I sighed. "Sorry. I just missed skateboarding so much. I didn't realize I was rusty." Annabeth sighed and stood up. She went over to me and put my head on her chest, and I leaned against her and put my arms around her waist.

"I'm sorry if I was angry," Annabeth said. "I was just… so worried about you." I nodded.

"I'm sorry about worrying you too," I said. "I should have told you." I closed my eyes and breathed her scent in. Her shirt smelled of clean soap and she smelled like lemons. Soap and lemons. My new favorite scent.

"It's alright," Annabeth said. "Come on. Let's go fix your ankle." With that, she removed herself from me.

"Do you know how to?" I asked. Annabeth blushed.

"No," she admitted. "But Google helps." She grabbed her phone and started to type quickly on the keypads. A few moments later, she smiled and ran to the kitchen. A few moments later she was back with things like elastic bandage and… was that wood? She went over and sat down at the edge of my bed. Then, she gently lifted my foot and cleaned it with cool water. And then she patted it dry, very, very, softly.

I watched Annabeth as she worked quietly. She looked so beautiful –her blonde hair covered her eyes and she distractedly flicked it away, her lips pursed and her gray eyes squinted in concentration. Honestly, I've never been attracted to someone like this before. This was a first. And I kinda liked it. I liked _her. _

I didn't notice Annabeth was done until she came over to me and wiped sweat from her forehead.

"Finished," she announced. "Uh, sorry if it's not that great. I'm a bit rusty on my princess training." I looked into my foot and found that she had made a make-shift cast.

"A cast?" I said. Annabeth nodded. I smiled and moved my foot slowly. It still hurt, but at least it was better. "Thanks, Annabeth." She smiled and nodded again. Then she slowly walked to the door.

"Wait!" I called out. A feeling of panic seized me. Was she leaving me already?

"What?" Annabeth asked. I blushed.

"Please don't leave me," I said softly. Annabeth looked taken aback for a second, but she smiled.

"I won't," she promised. "I'm just gonna go make dinner for you, okay? You need to eat properly." With that, Annabeth smiled again and went out, closing the door behind her. I sank back into my bed, unable to think about what to do. I hated being bedridden. I felt so useless and vulnerable. I hated being weak. But if Annabeth was the one taking care of me… well.

I tried to sleep for the next few minutes, but I couldn't. Partly because I can't stop thinking about Annabeth. How she came here to take care of me. How I liked her. And how much I wanted to kiss her a while ago –until now.

The other reason was because a delicious aroma had wafted through my door and found its way to my nostrils. It smelled like soup. Suddenly I felt hungrier. I've been eating leftover toast and cereal for days now. Soup would be good.

I groaned and sat up. My head felt better and my fever had cooled down, but my ankle was still a problem. I slowly got out of bed and grabbed the nearest chair for support. When I was sure I could stand by my own, I slowly trudged to my door. The trip across the room had me sweating, and I gripped the doorknob with one hand and wiped sweat from my forehead with the other. Then I opened the door and went out.

Annabeth was standing in front of the stove. Her back was to me, and I saw that she had let her hair down now. Her curls cascaded down her back in perfect ringlets. I watched as she grabbed two bowls and poured the soup into them. Then she put the lid back on the pot on the stove and grabbed the bowl.

Annabeth gasped when she turned and the first thing she saw was me. Her eyes widened and she almost dropped the bowls.

"Percy?" she said. "Gods, what are you –why are you standing up already?" I shrugged and didn't say anything. Annabeth sighed and put the bowls on the dinner table. Then she went over to me.

"Percy," Annabeth said, "please do not keep walking. You'll hurt your ankle." I smiled a little.

"Don't worry, Wise Girl," I said. "I'm perfectly fine. I just-" Suddenly a wave of nausea washed over me, and I stumbled. Annabeth caught me, and she placed her hands gently on my shoulders.

"Sorry," I muttered. I could feel Annabeth smiling.

"Fine, huh?" she teased softly. I looked up at her and realized that we were nose-to-nose. Our faces were really close. Annabeth and I simultaneously blushed, and I could feel my stomach whirling inside. Weird.

"Come on," Annabeth said, gently pushing my shoulders down. "Sit down." But I ended up slumping down on the floor, and Annabeth laughed a little and did the same. We talked about little things, and I told her about what I did when I was sick and home alone and how I wasn't able to call Mom or her or my friends about it, and she told me what happened when I was gone (Drew threw another party, one of our Homeroom classmates broke something of her body, and somebody lost their virtue). As she talked, I could feel myself falling harder.

Cheesy as that may sound, but I know I'm gonna have to tell Annabeth about what I felt. I know I've never been in a relationship before (although I look like a skater, I'm conservative) but I'm not the type of guy who doesn't have enough guts to at least tell the girl they liked what they felt.

"Annabeth," I said suddenly. Sweet honey iced tea. I really need to put scotch tape over my mouth. Or maybe even electrical ones. But like I've said, I'm not a coward. Especially not to girls (or the girl) I like. But seriously, how am I supposed to not be chickening out?

"What?" Annabeth asked. She seemed to be studying me.

Annabeth may be the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, but her eyes were intimidating, especially this moment. My ocean eyes were no match for her stormy ones. But I swallowed bile and said, "I've got something to tell you."

"Shoot," she replied, as though what I was about to say was just a juicy gossip.

"I…" I paused, making sure that we were eye-to-eye when I confessed. I willed myself not to blush. Thankfully, I didn't. Happily, she did. I took a deep breath.

"I really, really, like you," I blurted out. I felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off from my shoulders and chest, but I also felt a new set of heaviness settle down inside me when I saw her reaction. Well, actually, she didn't have a reaction. She remained emotionless. Then,

"Of course you do, Percy," Annabeth said, forcing a smile. "I like you, too. I mean, we're friends, right?" I shook my head.

"No, no, aside from that," I said, taking another sharp breath, "like, the more-than-as-a-friend like. I know I'm… I just like you, Wise Girl. I'm sorry, but I do. I've been gathering my guts to tell you this, I know you're engaged to someone else and we're never gonna have a chance together, but I just wanted to let you know that I like you." I looked down, and we were both silent for a while. It was an awkward confession, but I figured, why would I wait for another time? Considering there will be another time.

"Percy…" Annabeth began slowly. I looked up to her and saw that there were tears in her eyes. "I… I don't know how to say this. This is damn awkward and I never expected this, and I'm gonna be as awkward as hell, but I just…" she closed her eyes. "I like you, too."

"What?" I literally sat up straight and took her hands. "You do?" Annabeth nodded, not opening her eyes.

"For a while, until now," she said. "I'm just… I'm just afraid to tell you for fear of rejection. I felt like I've never had a chance. I feel like there will never be us." I smiled and wrapped her in my arms.

"I would never reject you," I said gently. "Open your eyes." When Annabeth did, I could see the emotions swimming in her gray orbs. So much for an awkward confession.

"I'm glad you admitted it first," she said after a while. "At least…" I grinned.

"I know," I said. "Me, too." I just held her for a while, and then I said, "would it be really awkward if I kissed you?" Annabeth laughed.

"Well, things are already awkward and you made it awkward-er when you said something about a kiss, so, yeah, might as well add more awkwardness." I was sure I was grinning from ear to ear.

"You're so logical," I said, teasing her. "That's one of the reasons why I like you." Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"My lips aren't kissable after five seconds," she said dryly. "Five… four..." Annabeth didn't reach three. Because I kissed before she could.

**They did it. Yep. They did.**

** So, hey guys. I decided to update today because I'll be travelling tomorrow and I won't be back until Wednesday. I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't that good... honestly I had this idea, but I wasn't able to write it because I was cramming :3 But I do hope you enjoyed this chapter :)**

** Review, Follow, Favorite, and have a nice day!**

**-Bluecookies19**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Annabeth

"YOU WHAT?" I tried not to flinch as Piper, Thalia, and Hazel all stood up from their seats on the couch simultaneously.

"Calm down," I said, rolling my eyes. "It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" Thalia flung her hands in the air exasperatedly. "Annie, your mom's gonna go ballistic when she finds out!"

"_If _she finds out," I corrected her. "Seriously, Thalia, are you gonna tell her?" Thalia paused for a moment.

"No," she resolved. "No, I won't." She sighed. "But that doesn't mean you won't be careful."

"So what is this deal with this kingdom thing?" Piper asked. "I still don't get it." Because of the latest issue, a.k.a. Percy's and my kiss, we had to tell Piper and Hazel my secret. They were perfectly fine about that; they didn't freak out or spilled it to anyone, that all this time, they had another royal in their group of friends.

"Have you ever watched Sleeping Beauty, or any other princess movie?" I asked. Piper wrinkled her nose.

"I don't like princess movies," she said.

"She abhors them," Hazel said, grinning. I raised an eyebrow.

"You don't watch them even when you were a kid?" I asked. "I used to consider _Princess Protection Program _as my favorite princess movie. Even Thalia liked Snow White."

"Hey!" Thalia protested. "I _abominate_ Snow White. She's so helpless and she's a sissy."

"Well anyway," I interrupted, "back to my point, in Sleeping Beauty, Aurora was betrothed to this guy from another kingdom even when she was still a baby. That's like me and Luke."

"So you mean Luke attended your baptismal?" Hazel asked. I laughed.

"Not exactly," I said. "He's not the first guy I was betrothed to. Besides, we're just the same age."

"So you're like Princess Jasmine from Aladdin," Piper said, smiling. "You kind of dump your suitors?" I shrugged.

"Sort of." Thalia groaned and put her head in her hands.

"Would you guys stop making Disney Princesses references?" she complained. "Your words are hurting my eardrums."

"At least Luke's attractive and nice," Hazel said. "I mean, you could be engaged to a thirty-year-old prince who has crooked teeth and bad breath."

"And smelly armpits," Thalia added, grinning. She winced. "Uh. Now that I thought of it, you're really lucky, Annie."

"Luke's not the only hot guy," I said defensively. "Uh… there was Prince Joshua… blonde hair, blue eyes. Stereotypical, but very good-looking. Then there was Phil. He was a douchebag, but he looked so hot. Tan skin and those gorgeous brown eyes. Then there was Anderson, he had those sexy blue streaks on his hair, Adam…" I ticked them off my fingers. I almost laughed when I saw the look of my friends' faces. They didn't know I was just playing with them (but I swear I'm not lying on the names of those guys).

"Gosh," Thalia said after a while, "I knew those assholes, Annie, but I've never known what you think of them. When did you turn into a slut?" All of us burst into laughter.

"I'm just kidding," I said after a moment. "I've never liked any one of them."

"But seriously," Piper said, "you and Percy kissed… when did this happen?" I tried not to redden while I explained to them what happened.

"Poor Percy," Hazel said, shaking her head. "Alone with a broken ankle and fever with no one to take care of him. Good thing you came to him, Annabeth."

"So…" Piper stood up and fixed her necktie. "We've got fifteen minutes before the bell rings for first class, and I've got one unanswered question: Are you and Percy dating now? Because as far as I know, people who kiss even just once date afterwards."

"Uh," Thalia raised her hand, "not all people, Beauty Queen. Some would just kiss out of a dare─"

"My point is," Piper continued, sending Thalia a look, "are you or are you not dating?" I looked down. Really, I don't know. We've never really talked about that thing. After the kiss… well, as awkward as it can be, we just kinda stared at each other's faces for a while and then I stood up and helped Percy get dinner and went home. We didn't talk about the kiss. But there sure was tension.

"I don't know?" I said timidly. I sighed. "I don't know. We never really talked about it. Geez! What do you expect to happen, we kiss and then we're like, 'hey, we kissed, we should date!'"

"Not like that," Piper said gently. "But… listen, Annabeth. Percy and I have been friends for a long time. He's a good guy: thoughtful and charming and all those kind of stuff. He's never had a girlfriend or a crush before, but I know he's sincere to whomever he likes, who happens to be you. I also know that you're engage, but I just want to tell you that I want you guys to happen."

"She ships Percabeth," Hazel told me. I raised an eyebrow.

"What is 'Percabeth'?" I asked. Thalia sighed and muttered, "Not this again."

"It's Percy's and your couple name," Hazel explained. "Piper made it."

"Seriously, Pipes?" I laughed. "But thanks. I'll try and talk with Percy later."

But I seriously did not talk with Percy later.

Honestly, my schedule decided to be super hectic. Percy and I were in a lot of classes together, but seriously, I can't just go and call out to him from across the classroom, "Hey, Percy! You and I kissed, and we need to talk!"

I knew Percy wanted to talk to me, too. I could see the look in his eyes every time we encounter each other. But we just couldn't talk, because it's either he gets distracted by a friend or I get pulled by girls who want to ask me questions about fashion (did I peg them for a beauty guru?).

But thankfully, we had this beautiful period we call free time, and Percy, like the dork he was, cut class again just so he could talk to me. I know I should appreciate that, and I do, but he seriously needed to stop cutting classes.

Anyway, I was washing my hands in the girls' bathroom when I heard a noise outside. I dried my hands on my skirt (not lady-like, as Mom likes to put it) and went out of the bathroom. I looked outside the huge doors, which was the way to the garden. No one was there.

Then suddenly I felt hands clamp my mouth and somebody dragged me to the garden, until we both reached a spot where an apple tree which was concealed with beautifully trimmed rosebushes and different kinds of pretty flowers stood.

So what was this? High school abduction? But hey, never underestimate a princess. Sometimes we're tougher than the cruelest thieves. Reflexively, I grabbed the guy's arm and was about to throw him when I saw sea-green eyes. And there was only one person I know who had those eyes.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait!" Percy steadied me and looked me straight in the eyes. "Relax, it's just me, Wise Girl." I let out a breath and flicked a strand of hair out from my forehead.

"Are you aware that you just scared the shit out of me?" I glared at him, and Percy raised his hands in surrender, although he was stifling a smile. I rolled my eyes. "What do you want, Percy?"

"I want to talk to you," he said, sighing. "Annabeth, what happened is really bothering me." I raised an eyebrow.

"You're guilty?" I said. Percy's eyes widened.

"What? No!" he said. "Actually, I never felt much happier that moment. I… I just…" he let out a frustrated sigh and pulled at his hair. "Annabeth, I really, really like you. And yes, that kiss was definitely something, but…" I grabbed his face with my hands and made him look at me.

"Percy, hey," I said slowly and steadily. "Calm. Down. We're both confused here, right?" He gently held my hands with his own, his green eyes sad.

"I just want to be with you," he said simply. I suddenly felt like crying.

"Then be," I whispered. Percy shook his head.

"I can't," he replied softly. "You're engaged. I don't want to trouble you."

"Who says it's trouble?" I tried to reason. "Percy, look at me. This is damn awkward, since you're my best friend, but I like you, too. And I'm gonna be a rebel for you, if you're gonna be a fighter for me." Shitake mushrooms. It'd be cute if a guy said this part, but I was a girl. Did I sound like a total cheese nerd?

Percy smiled that famous troublemaker smile all the girls at school had come to know and fall for.

"Okay," he said. "But I'm a real traditional guy, and I want to ask you something first."

"Shoot."

"Annabeth Dylan Chase─"

"How the hell did you know my second name?"

"I don't know! Let me finish!"

"You're making it sound like you're proposing, Seaweed Brain."

"I am! I mean, I'm not! Well, I guess I am, but in a more… minor thing."

"You're impossible!"

"But you like me anyway?" Percy cracked a smile at that.

"Yeah," he said. "I guess that's one of the reasons why I do. Now," he took my face with both his hands and made me look at him straight in his (gorgeous) eyes, "could you please let me finish?"

"Continue."

"Annabeth Chase, would you be my girlfriend?" I almost laughed at Percy's face: he looked so much like a hopeful little boy. I wanted to tell him, _Of course, Percy, I would_ but where's the fun in that?

"I'll try to think about that first," I said. He pouted.

"Wise Girl!" he whined. "Why do you have to think about that first? I like you, you like me, we're made for each other. Say yes, say yes, 'cause I need to know."

"Uh, fun fact: I do not like that song you just made a reference out of. Major turn-off." I shook my head and pretended to look disappointed. Percy's eyebrows scrunched together, and with one determined look, he fell on his knees.

"Annabeth, you're breaking my heart. You're shaking my confidence daileeeehh. I'm down on my knees and I'm begging you please to freaking answer me." Percy looked so cute, it was hard to keep up pretending. Seriously, why was he quoting lines from songs? Rude wasn't my favorite song, and I detested The Vamps (sorry for all who adore those English guys).

"Okay, I was just kidding, Percy," I said, helping him stand up. He beamed.

"So would you be my girlfriend?" I smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Yes."

And then Percy emitted the loudest whoop ever known to mankind as he hugged me tight like he was never going to let go.

**Major Percabeth fluff. So... hey guys. How'd you like this chapter?**

** Review, Follow, Favorite, and have a merry Christmas! :D**

**-Bluecookies19**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Annabeth

"Come on, come on," I muttered as the elevator pulled me down. "Can't this go down any faster?" Beside me, Piper giggled.

"Well aren't you excited, little princess," she teased. I rolled my eyes.

"Not really," I said. "I do not want this year to end."

"Because it has some _special _memories in them?" Thalia asked, poking me with her elbow.

"Maybe," I said, slowly smiling. "Just maybe."

We were at the mall today, shopping. As much as Thalia and I hated it, we agreed to go with Piper so we could go buy "fabulous" attires for the New Year's Eve party tonight at Goode. Hazel wasn't able to come because she had to go to her dentist and get her teeth cleaned. We didn't know where the boys went. And we didn't care.

But it seemed like one of the boys did. Who else could it be? Well, none other than Percy I-am-awesome Jackson, who happened to be, dare I say this, my boyfriend. Yep. A text popped up my screen, and I quickly swiped it open to read his message.

_Hey Wise Girl,_ it said. _How's my princess? _I rolled my eyes but smiled. Percy could be really dorky sometimes (well, okay, he always is) but he could also be really sweet. Unfortunately, he's also into those sappy crap.

_I'm grand, _I texted back, making a reference out of my favorite book. _I'm on a rollercoaster that only goes up, my friend._

_But I am not your friend, _came Percy's reply later. _And please stop making book references!_

_Why? _I wrote.

_Because it's turning me on. _I smiled at that. Percy always said that everything I do seemed to turn him on. Well, I could say the same for him, only I didn't. That's the guy's line. Thalia noticed me smiling, and she raised an eyebrow and nudged Piper. When she noticed, they both looked at me with teasing grins.

"I strongly suspect that Annabeth is once again flirting with her Kelp Head," Thalia whispered loudly to Piper. Piper, getting that this was her cue to stage back-biting, nodded and whispered back, "I think those two are gonna be early parents." My eyes widened but I knew they were just messing with me.

"I don't care if they will be," Thalia said, now clearly stifling a laugh, "But they must name the child Thalia."

"Thalia!" Piper said, clapping her hands. "What a marvelous name! And they must name the second child Piper, so as to complete the prophecy." They burst out laughing. I smiled. They were so corny.

"Guys," I said to them, "quit being weirdoes, would you?"

"Sorry Annie," Thalia said. "But we just love being weirdoes."

"We _venerate_ being weirdoes," Piper agreed. Then they both started snickering again. I just rolled my eyes at them and waited for the elevator to hit the ground floor. Finally, years later, it dinged open and the three of us got out.

We hailed a cab to Goode. Along the way, Piper kept telling Thalia about the annual New Year's Eve party here at Goode. Students who live in the dorms celebrate it, if they don't go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year. Thalia and I stayed through the first two holidays. So did a lot of students. Surprisingly, I didn't feel homesick at all. I mean, if you practically live at Goode, like me and Thalia and all dormitory people, you can't actually get homesick, with all the cool stuff going on. We had Christmas parties. Now we were having a New Year's Eve one.

But the celebrations were open to all, not just the boarders. All students are invited, even though they don't live in the dorms. That is, of course, if they wanted to attend the party. Maybe they just wanted to spend holidays with their families in their homes.

Percy had spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with me. At Thanksgiving, he had invited me to his house, where I first met his mother, Sally, who was incredibly nice and sweet. She hugged me and told me she had been wanting to meet me ever since Percy said something about me. She wanted to meet me even more every time she hears Percy talk about me (which was, like, all the freaking time. Percy had blushed at that).

At Christmas, Percy stayed with me, too. There was the Christmas party at the evening of 24th, and then all of our friends and us had a lot of fun. But Percy and I didn't join them at the Christmas dinner. We went to this table he had set up in the garden, and then he gave me these little silver owl earrings for a gift, and I had been really touched because I wasn't even able to buy him a gift. And we spent Christmas together, sitting under the stars and cuddling. (No kiss. Just hugs.)

Now Goode was celebrating its annual New Year's Eve party, and I guess it's safe to say I'm both excited and dreary about it. It's exciting because, hey, it's another year, and we should celebrate it! But I'm also dreading it because… well, because it means my time limit is almost over (it's not due until eight months, but you never know).

We arrived in Goode twenty minutes later, thanks to traffic. It was already four in the afternoon and the party didn't start until ten, so we were free. Piper and Hazel had booked a spa session inside Hazel's and Thalia's dorm room, which, of course, got Thalia grumbling, so we did a little dorm mate exchange, and Thalia was with me at Piper's and my room now, eating pizza and Dr. Pepper and watching an episode of _How I Met Your Mother._

Suddenly, my phone rang and Thalia tossed it to me, smirking and muttering something about "flirts all around me." I gave her a quick thank you and pressed accept to whoever was calling.

"Sup, nerd?" I said. I heard Percy's snort from the other line.

"Never thought being a Seaweed Brain could be actually considered being a nerd," was his reply.

"I like nerds," I said easily. "I mean, I like guys with brains."

"So you wouldn't have dated me if you met another guy with brains?" I thought I heard a flash of hurt in Percy's voice. I laughed awkwardly.

"Of course not, Percy," I said. "Everybody has brains. If you didn't, I wouldn't have called you Seaweed Brain. I'd call you _No Brain._" Percy seemed to ponder on this for a while.

"Point taken," he decided after a while.

"I always have a point," I replied, and he laughed.

"I thought before that dating a smart girl would make me smart, too. Turned out it only succeeded in making me feel dumber." But I could feel something wrong in Percy's voice. I knew it was meant to be a joke, but… it didn't feel like one. I stood up and went outside.

"Percy, what's wrong?" I could hear his sigh.

"Annabeth, I can't…" he paused. "I'm not sure if I could attend the New Year's Eve party tonight. I'm sorry."

"Oh." I thought it was something worse. But I couldn't help but feel disappointed. But I repressed an upset sigh as I said, "It's fine, Perce. Just… as long as you enjoy your New Year, too."

"I'm sorry, Wise Girl," Percy said again. "I could try. I could──"

"No, you couldn't," it came out harsher than I expected it to be. I took a deep breath. "Sorry. Is it urgent?"

"Mom needs help with the preparations," Percy said. "A few family friends will be coming tonight."

"It's perfectly fine, Percy," I said, now smiling a little. At least he would spend New Year with his family. If I wanted him to spend it with me, I'd be selfish, since he didn't give his full time celebrating the past holidays so he could spend it with me. His family owns him for New Year.

"I'm sorry," Percy repeated. "Annabeth, I can tell Mom──"

"No, no, it's alright," I insisted, even though my mind was saying, _yes, please, stay with me._ "Seriously, Percy. I'll be fine. I'll have fun. You too. Enjoy your New Year."

"Annabeth…"

"Percy," I said firmly. "I'm okay. Have a good New Year. I'll call you later, okay? Bye."

"Bye, Annabeth." Percy hesitated, as if he was about to say something, but I pressed end. Then I went back inside.

"Well?" Thalia asked when I got settled back down on my couch. "How'd the flirting went, Annie?"

"I didn't flirt," I said dully. Thalia blinked.

"Oh," she said. She seemed to notice my monotonous face. "Annabeth, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," I lied. "Nothing's wrong. We're gonna have a _perfect _night."

~oOo~

I smoothed my skirt as I looked into the mirror. Beside me, looking pretty with her golden dress, Piper smiled and nodded appreciatively.

"You look nice, Your Highness," she said. I rolled my eyes and smiled. I did. I was wearing this silver dress that looked literally _stunning, _along with the silver glittery heels Piper lent me. My hair was curled even more, and Hazel had put streaks of silver and blue in it.

"Thanks, Beauty Queen," I replied. I looked at the clock, which read nine-thirty. "We better go to the party hall now. Get some seats." Piper nodded, and adjusting her bangles, she grabbed her purse and pulled me out.

Thalia and Hazel were standing outside our door, looking party-ready as well. Hazel was wearing a cute silver top which she paired with a golden sequined skirt and her glittery Keds, and Thalia wore a black beaded and sequined dress with studded boots (yup. It's Thalia). Now you might be wondering why all of us (except Thalia) wore sparkly dresses. It was because it was a tradition for people in Goode to wear those kinds of stuff during the New Year's Eve party.

We all went to the party hall, and I caught my breath even before we completely went through the big oaken doors. Goode has really outdone itself right now. They still haven't taken out the Christmas decorations, which was fine, but it was even grander than Homecoming. Party balloons of different sizes and colors hung everywhere. Colorful bright lights illuminated the ceilings, walls, and floors. Streamers hung neatly from the ceiling. About a hundred or so tables with chairs were arranged properly. Music boomed through the enormous speakers. The huge chandelier, which had always been there, seemed to glow even brighter. Students, clad in sparkly and fun clothes, danced and drank from red and blue plastic cups.

"Whoa," I breathed. Beside me, Thalia grinned.

"Happy New Year," she said. Suddenly we heard somebody called our name, and we all turned to see Leo sashaying towards us with a blue plastic cup in his hand. He was wearing a yellow polo with a bright orange tie, which he tied loose, along with fiery red pants and yellow sneakers.

"Hey, Valdez," Thalia said. Then, she frowned. "Okay, Leo, I know the dress code is all "sparkly and bright" but those colors… sorry to burst your bubble, dude, but they don't really go together." Leo's face fell.

"They don't?" he asked. He looked down at his polo shirt. "But I thought…"

"It's nice, Leo," Piper assured him, sending Thalia a look. "You and Calypso clash with your clothes."

"Clash?"

"In a good way," Piper added quickly. "Where's Jason and the others?"

"Over there," Leo said, pointing to the bar (what? We didn't have a bar for Christmas!).

"Well, let's go, then," Hazel said, starting to make her way to where they were. But I stayed behind. Thalia seemed to notice me, and she frowned.

"Annabeth?" she said gently. "You okay? Where's Percy?"

"I'm fine," I said. "I'll just… I'll just stay here. You guys enjoy. I'll come after you."

"Okay," Thalia said uncertainly. "Just call me when you need me, alright?"

"Yeah," I said, nodding. "Okay." I watched as Thalia weaved her way through the crowd until she disappeared completely. I stood there by the entrance, holding my phone with me. I decided to text Percy. But even after about three missed calls and eleven texts, I got no answer. Guys came to me and asked for a dance, but I politely said no. Some of them acknowledged that I was "Jackson's girl" and that they wouldn't want to mess with him, but they wanted to dance with me. I courteously refused.

The clock ticked eleven and the music was getting louder and the party wasn't stopping any minute. And I just stood there, waiting for somebody who wouldn't even arrive. Finally, I felt like my legs were giving out, so I decided to go out to the garden and sit down. I instantly felt better─ here, it was peaceful and quiet. Fairy lights decorated the rose bushes and the fountain was illuminated as well. I vaguely felt like a princess─ not the kind of what I was, but like the princesses you saw in movies.

I opened my phone and played _Dumb Ways to Die _(again), because I didn't have anything else to do. It's not like Percy was gonna text me back, anyway. It kinda ticked me off, but I reminded myself that he was probably spending time with his family. It didn't help me feel better, though.

Honestly, all I wanted to do was go back to my dorm room and change into my pajamas and sleep and set my alarm to wake me up at 11:59, but it'd be kinda rude to my friends. So I just sat there, feeling miserable and getting irritated when I can't tilt the little egg guy right and it ends up falling. After a while, I got tired and decided to just sit there, staring into blank space like a complete loner.

Then I heard a familiar car honk and a tire screech, indicating somebody parked. I stood up and hid behind the rosebush, trying to get a glimpse of the newcomer. Their backs were to me, but I could see that there were two guys and two girls. The first guy was auburn-haired and was holding a blonde girl next to him, while the other girl was a brunette and was clinging to a taller guy, who had black hair and looked vaguely familiar. When they spoke, I caught me breath.

"Lida," the black-haired boy spoke in a _very_ familiar voice, "I have to go. She's waiting for me."

"But Cie," the girl, Lida, whined, "she doesn't even know you're going here." She clung to him even tighter. The guy, Cie (weird name), gently untangled her hands from his arm.

"I know," he said gently. "I want to surprise her." Lida huffed.

"Who is this Anniebell girl, anyway?" she demanded.

"Annabeth," the boy replied, obviously through gritted teeth. Suddenly, my heart stopped. Annabeth? As in, _me_? How the heck did they know me?

"Percy, you promise you'd spend time with me," Lida insisted. "I missed you. You missed me, too."

And then it hit me. How could I have been so stupid? The guy's familiarity, his name, _Cie. _The boy was Percy. And he was hanging out with some other girl.

Okay, to be fair to Percy, he _did _sound like he didn't enjoy her company. But if Lida was telling the truth, that Percy promised to spend time with her and that he missed her too… well. This is some serious shit.

"Lida," Percy said, sighing, "Go home. Take Kylie and Mark with you. Tell Mom I'll be home by two, okay? Have a happy New Year." Lida let out a frustrated sigh.

"Fine," she snapped. "But I'll be waiting for you, Perseus." Then she spun on her heel and stomped back to Percy's car, grabbing her two companions with her. Percy watched them until they completely disappeared, and he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Then he grabbed his phone, typed quickly, and put it on his ear. A few seconds later, my phone rang.

I hastily fished it from my purse, keen not to let Percy realize that I was just standing a small distance away from him behind a rosebush. I lowered the volume and didn't answer. Percy tried a few times, obviously getting frustrated, and I felt sorry. But then I remembered Lida and I quickly escaped from my rosebush hiding place and back into the garden.

I sat there on a bench, once again playing DWTD, safe from Percy. Or at least that's what I thought. Because I heard his voice call my name. And he didn't sound pleased.

"Annabeth!" Percy said, running towards me. I looked up and my heart beat a little. He looked exceptionally good tonight. He wasn't wearing the dress code, opting instead for a dark blue button-down with rolled up sleeves, dark blue jeans and his Vans. His dark hair was messy as always. But his green eyes were angry.

"What?" I said dryly. Percy looked a little taken aback by my response, and his face fell.

"What, no hi?" he asked, trying to make it sound cool. It was _so _not cool. "No kiss? No hug? No 'hey, Seaweed Brain'?" I stared at him blankly.

"I thought you were with your family," I said, sitting back down. Percy caught me and made me look up at him in the eyes.

"Annabeth," he said slowly, "what is wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong with me!" I said, brushing him off. "What about you? What's _your _damage?" Percy frowned.

"Okay, you're acting weird," he said after a while. "Seriously, Wise Girl. Tell me."

"You want me to tell you?" I said. "Okay. I'll tell you. I want to know why on earth you weren't able to attend because you were with your family, and I respect that, but instead I find you hanging out with some other girl, particularly one named Lida." Percy looked flabbergasted. When he spoke, his voice quivered a little.

"Please tell me you do not believe I am involved with Lida," he said. I raised an eyebrow.

"In a romantic relationship?" I said. "Yeah. I think I do." Okay, so here's the thing: I was really aware that I was being a serious bitch right now. But I can't shut my mouth that fast.

"Annabeth, for goodness' sake!" Percy said, flinging his hands in the air. "I do _not _have a romantic relationship with Lida. You're my girlfriend!"

"Men could even have affairs even when they're married," I replied. "How much more could boyfriends like you?" Percy's jaw dropped.

"You don't trust me?" he said, and I felt instantly guilty when I hear the hurt in his voice.

"After what I just saw," I began, my voice now trembling, "I think I don't."

"Annabeth, please," Percy said, grabbing my shoulders. "Lida Weatherly is not anybody I'd like. Well, she likes me. Listen; I told you we had family friends visiting. She's the daughter of Mom's friend. She's nobody to me, aside from being an acquaintance."

"Then why'd she say you promised to spend time with her?" I was feeling more and more pathetic by the second. Percy looked at me disbelievingly.

"You've got to be kidding me," he said, shaking his head. "Tell me you don't believe in what she said."

"I don't…?"

"Annabeth…"

"Fine. I do." Percy sighed and pulled me to him in a hug, which surprised me.

"I can't believe we just had our first fight because of Lida Weatherly," he said gently. "Annabeth, I hate it when you hate me."

"You should."

"Yeah, that's why I said that. But come on, seriously. I don't like us fighting."

"Hey, you started it."

"Yeah, I did── wait, no, I did not. But sorry, nonetheless." I pulled away from him and smiled a little.

"Sorry, too." My voice was smaller than I expected. "For… for being a pathetic, jealous little──"

"Don't say it."

"Okay. For being pathetic and jealous."

"Apology accepted." Percy grinned and kissed my nose. "Come on," he said, pulling my hand, "let's go inside." We did, and we joined our friends, who were all laughing and singing off-key at the top of their lungs. When they saw us, they all said hello and made the both of us join their dancing.

Then suddenly, everybody stopped whatever they were doing. So did the music. And then I knew –the big luminous clock that was on the wall read 11: 59, and the seconds were counting from fifteen. Percy pulled me to him and he smiled down at me. I smiled back as we started counting.

"Ten… nine… eight… seven… six… five…" The counting got louder.

"Four… three… two… one!" A loud _Bang_ was heard, and a shower of colorful confetti rained down from the ceiling. Then, more booming sounds were heard, and everybody looked to see the fireworks going on outside the dark, cloudless skies.

"Happy New Year!" Everybody turned to their friends and more-than-friends and hugged them. Leo grabbed everybody and we all had a group hug. Then, I felt somebody pull my arm. I turned and came face-to-face (once again) with Percy's ocean eyes.

"Happy New Year, Wise Girl," he said. I smiled.

"Happy New Year too, Seaweed Brain," I said. Then I remembered something: sometimes, it was a tradition for people to kiss their special somebodies during New Year. Percy looked like he was thinking the same thing; he grinned and pulled me closer to him.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" He said softly, his sea-green eyes sparkling. I shrugged, still smiling.

"I guess so." And then suddenly, Percy was kissing me, and I was kissing him, too.

And it was pretty much the best New Year kiss I have ever had.

**And there goes another sappy Percabeth-filled (I guess) chapter. Hey guys! How's your Christmas? I've got an okay one, I guess. What did you receive? I got an alarm clock and three books: Looking for Alaska, The School for Good and Evil, and I am Number Four. If you had read this books tell me if they're any good, but please. No spoilers, okay? ;) (I've started Looking for Alaska and so far it's beautiful.)**

** Anyway, under a lot of circumstances, I'll most likely be updating chapters on weekends already, because... you know, school and stuff.**

** Okay. So I hope you liked this chapter and have a Happy New Year! Also, tell me what you got for Christmas!**

** -Bluecookies19**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Percy

I woke up a bit late (okay, really late) one Saturday morning. (Which was a bit stupid since Mom and Paul were out for two days and I'd be the one to do the chores and I certainly can't do my chores if I woke up late, but eh.) Sunlight was pouring through my parted curtains, and I rubbed my eyes as I slowly sat up.

I glanced at my alarm clock, which read 11:10. Holy. I was supposed to run to the grocery and grab some stuff Mom had listed for me last night. And I still had chores to do. Ugh. I yawned and got out of bed, then I picked up a random shirt lying on the floor (yeah, I'm not the cleanest person or whatsoever).

I made my way to the kitchen, praying to every deity listening out there that Mom had at least left me something to microwave, because a) I don't know how to cook and b) if I tried the house will probably be burned down to ashes by the time Mom and Paul got home.

I opened the fridge, and saw, _hey would you look at that_, a bowl of noodles. Cold and probably stale noodles, but still noodles; edible, and (hopefully) tasty. But just as I put it inside the microwave, I heard the doorbell ring. Sighing to myself, I turned on the microwave and let it heat the noodles while I went to the door and opened it.

And standing outside was Annabeth.

(Shocker.)

She smiled up at me, and I saw that she was holding a paper bag in her arms. She wore thick clothes (since it was snowing already): wool sweater, thick tights, booties, a thick white scarf, and a knitted beanie. I guess I was looking at her for too long because she laughed and snapped her fingers in front of my face. I blinked.

"Oh, uh, hey, Annabeth," I said. Annabeth grinned.

"Are you too shocked to see me visiting you, Percy?" she said teasingly. I blushed.

"You, uh, you're visiting me?" Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Sure." She smirked, and if possible, I turned even redder. I didn't even know why I was blushing! But I've been dating Annabeth for two months now, and she always has this effect on me. And I hated and liked it at the same time. "Now won't you let me in, Seaweed Brain?" I felt my cheeks heat up and awkwardly stepped aside to let her in. Then, like the gentleman I was, I took the paper bag from Annabeth, wondering what was inside. Annabeth smiled and pinched my face.

"What happened to you?" she asked. I let out a short laugh.

"I was just… wow. I never thought this day would happen."

"What day? The day your girlfriend shows up in front of your doorstep?"

"No. The day my girlfriend made me inarticulate." Annabeth grinned and stood on her tiptoes and kissed me. I almost dropped the bag, because my brain felt like it was melting inside my skull. And then it was over, because she was pulling away. And like always, I was leaning forward, and she was stopping me with a wry grin.

"There," she said, smiling smugly. "I made you even more incoherent." I rolled my eyes.

"Showoff." But I followed Annabeth into the kitchen, anyway. And then, she said, "Percy, dang it!" And then I saw what she meant. Something was wrong with the microwave. Annabeth hastily pulled off the plug from the socket and opened the microwave, letting steam blow out.

"Oh," was all I said. Annabeth turned and glared at me.

"You really don't know how to cook," she said dryly. I shrugged. "I guess?" Annabeth let out a scoff.

"This isn't funny, Percy," she said, getting a pot holder (where the hell did she find it?) and carefully getting the bowl from the microwave. "What would've happened if I didn't get your noodles off?"

"The whole complex would have burned?" I suggested. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Well obviously." She looked at the noodles. "Well you can't eat this now. It's… overcooked. And it's a leftover. It'll probably feel like jelly in your mouth when you eat it."

"What's wrong with jelly? I love jelly."

"It'll feel like jelly and taste like shit."

"Oh." I scratched the back of my neck. "Um, Wise Girl, would you mind if I grabbed breakfast first?" Annabeth shook your head.

"As punishment," she said, "you won't have breakfast."

"What?" I whined. "No! I can't not have breakfast! It's my life!"

"How can you eat breakfast when your place is so dirty?" she gestured around the whole house. "Besides, Seaweed Brain, it's noon. I brought food, so we could have lunch together."

"Oh, thank goodness."

"But," Annabeth said, "you and I have to clean first."

"But… I'm really tired."

"Do you want lunch or not?"

"Uh… yeah?"

"Okay, then get me the vacuum." So I just nodded and got the vacuum. There was no use trying to fight Annabeth. She gets what she wants. When I got back from the stock room with the vacuum, Annabeth was tying her hair and she was wearing… wait, was that my shirt? Yes. It was mine.

Annabeth turned to me and smiled. I swear my heart melted against my ribcage when I saw her in my Superman shirt. She looked so adorable I wanted to cuddle with her. Snap. Out. Of. It. Percy.

"I, uh, I used your shirt," Annabeth said, pulling me out from my daze. "So I could clean well with you. Hope you don't mind." I smiled.

"Nope, not at all," I said. "Wait a second." I went to my room and grabbed a shirt from my drawer── it was also a Superman shirt, identical to the one Annabeth was wearing. Now don't get me started on how I got those superhero shirts. You see, Paul had this brother older than me for two years who adored collecting superhero merchandises. He so happened to give me several superhero shirts on my seventeenth birthday. I never really used them, until now. Superman got to be the first. Ironman, Spidey, Hulk, and Batman are still stuck inside the farthest part of my dresser drawer.

When Annabeth saw me, she raised an eyebrow, a smile on her lips.

"Do I look okay?" I asked, suddenly self-conscious. Annabeth shrugged.

"Never pegged you for somebody who enjoys superhero shirts," she said. I grinned.

"I got tons of them," I explained. "Want one?"

"I think I'll pass. But I like this shirt, though." She pulled at the hem of my shirt, which was, like, twice her size but still looked like it was bigger than her on purpose. I smiled and walked towards her.

"It's yours," I said. "That way, we both have Superman tops. Talk about couple shirts!" Annabeth laughed and reached out to ruffle my hair. I did the same to her.

"Okay, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said, grabbing the vacuum. "Let's start cleaning."

~oOo~

"Oh. Gods. That was faster than I thought," Annabeth said as she collapsed on my couch. I sat down next to her. "But I'm still tired as hell." I smiled and brushed a curl from her face.

"Let's eat lunch," I said. Annabeth nodded and prepared to stand, but I pushed her back down (gently, of course).

"Let me get it," I said. "You're tired and I'm starving." Annabeth laughed.

"Yeah, sorry about delaying your lunch," she said. She looked at her watch. "It's past one. You sure your tummy held on?"

"It's braver than you think." I stood up and grabbed the paper bag from the kitchen counter, then went back to the living room and set it on the coffee table. Carefully, I emptied out the contents. There were three cheeseburgers, a few hash browns, fries, and two tall plastic cups of Coke── one blue, one brown. Wait. This meal was familiar. I turned to Annabeth questioningly, but I saw that she was just looking at me with a smile on her face.

And I forgot what my question was.

Instead, I asked, "What?" Annabeth shook her head.

"Nothing," she said. "Just… I'm just happy, you know?" I sat back with her on the couch.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because," was all she said. I smiled and kissed her forehead. Then, I remembered my question. "Hey, did you just bring the same food I brought when we had that little picnic?" Annabeth grinned.

"Glad you remembered," she said.

"Of course I remember," I said. "It was our first date."

"No it wasn't," Annabeth said, pinching my arm ("OW!" I yelped). "This is our first date." I guess my smile was priceless when she said that. Annabeth smiled and I thought she was about to kiss me, but she just went and grabbed the paper bag.

"You forgot to unpack something," she said, looking up at me. She put her arm inside and withdrew three ──no, four── DVDs. She smiled up at me.

"A perfect first date wouldn't be complete without a movie marathon," she said. "Um… I didn't have DVDs, but Hazel had some, so I asked for a few. I found a few interesting ones. Here's um… It's Valentine's Day. I think Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner's in here. Can you believe that they play a couple in here and they're also dating in real life? Too bad they broke up, though. But it would've been funny if they married. Both of them will be called Taylor Lautner." Annabeth laughed, but I was only staring at her. Creepy, I know, but when your girlfriend was as beautiful as mine, you can't help it.

I blushed when Annabeth blushed when she realized I was looking at her.

"What the heck, Percy? You're making this really awkward." I grinned.

"I know. It's just that… Just. I'm just glad that you're mine, Wise Girl. I've never met a girl who would be the one preparing our first date."

"Yeah, no. Enough with the sappy crap, Perce."

"Yeah, sorry not sorry. Continue." Annabeth rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. I just smiled.

"Anyway, there's Valentine's Day, The Maze Runner, Lucy, and another old-timer, Hoot." I raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't that the movie where this little boy saves owls?" Annabeth shrugged.

"It's not a little boy, Percy," she said. "It's Logan Lerman in his teenage years. Cute, right?" I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah. That dude."

"You guys look the same."

"What?"

"Just kidding. Now, choose." Then an idea hit me.

"Wise Girl, your taste of movies is phenomenal, but I've got something better. Wait in here." I stood up and went over to the console under the TV, searching for the DVD. I finally found it about a few seconds later and I strode over to Annabeth and plopped down on the couch next to her.

"Here." I triumphantly showed her the DVD. She raised an eyebrow, clearly stifling a laugh.

"Finding Nemo?" she asked incredulously. "Seriously, Percy?" She burst into giggles.

"What? It's classic!" I said, laughing along with her.

"Are you kidding me?" Annabeth said, still chuckling. "Nope. Sober up, Seaweed Brain. We're not watching a Disney movie."

"It's beautiful!" I insisted. "I swear. It depicts the love between family, especially between a father and a child!" Suddenly Annabeth grew quiet. She looked down. I immediately felt sorry.

"Annabeth?" I tilted her chin so she looked at me. "Hey, what's wrong?" She shook her head and smiled.

"Nothing," she said, grinning. "I was just… sorry. It was nothing. Okay, play Nemo." I reluctantly stood up and inserted the disc inside the player. Confession time: the reason why I liked Finding Nemo, aside from the fact that I loved watching underwater movies and that that movie was my childhood favorite (until now, actually) was because it reminded me of Dad. Well, Dad and me. I had hoped that Dad would still find me. Or I would find him. It has always been my wish to see him someday. I knew that deep inside, he was out there somewhere. Maybe Mom told me that he died when he was at sea. But maybe she was wrong, too.

I was snapped back to reality when the Disney theme song played. I cleared my throat and went back to Annabeth, who smiled and grabbed some food. I did the same, and I guess that was the start of our first date.

~oOo~

It went well at first. Annabeth and I laughed together, eating and watching the movie. I could still see that something was disturbing Annabeth, though. Every time she focused on the screen, she would just… I don't know. Her eyes would soften and look cloudy. Okay, that was a terrible pun, since she had stormy gray eyes. But her eyes became cloudy, like tears were threatening to pour out. When I tried asking her, though, she would only say that it was nothing and shake her head. So I let her be.

It pained me a little, though. Partly because I didn't like seeing Annabeth like this, and the other part because it kind of hurt to know that she didn't… like, _trust _me enough to tell me what was wrong, because I know that we both knew something was wrong. She just didn't tell me. But I didn't push her. I never push her. Because I know that when Annabeth's given enough time, she'll tell what was bothering her.

So we watched the movie together. Because I was weird and because I just wanted to enjoy the time with Annabeth, I held her hand all throughout the movie and she leaned her head on my shoulder. I actually felt happy, until one scene of the movie.

Annabeth was crying.

Well, actually, no. She was sobbing. Silently. Because I knew that Annabeth would never let somebody see her cry. But she _was _sobbing. Silently, yes, but her shoulders were shaking and her eyes were shut tight. It was enough for me to pause the movie and hug her tight.

"Hey," I said, "hey, Annabeth, what's wrong?" But she only shook her head, and so I told her that it was okay and she could tell me when she's ready, and I waited for her while I held her hand and did not stop stroking her head soothingly (at least I hope it was).

Finally, Annabeth sniffed and said, "It's my dad, Percy."

"Huh?" Was my intelligent response. Annabeth wiped her eyes and sat up.

"I forgot to tell you something," she said. "My dad… he was a commoner." I sat up straight, too.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that… he wasn't royalty. Mom was a princess back then. And commoners aren't supposed to date royalties."

"Ouch."

"Was I being insensitive? Sorry."

"No, it's okay, Wise Girl. Continue."

"Okay. Now where was I?"

"Commoners aren't supposed to date royalties."

"Oh. Okay. Sorry. Anyway, that is that, but they did it anyway. They dated, I mean. And then, you could guess what happened… they did _it, _if you know what I mean, and BOOM, I existed." I had to smile at that. Somehow, Annabeth made her sad storytelling a bit happy. But I could still see the wistfulness in her voice when she continued talking.

"Anyway, they had a little princess, which is me. By the way, I forgot to tell you, Mom was already queen when they had me. My grandfather died when she was… I guess she was eighteen by then ── I know, really sad── so she got crowned at that age. She and Dad had me when she was twenty four, I guess. Yeah, Mom's still pretty young."

"So," I said, "when did your mom and dad start dating?"

"I don't know. Duh, Seaweed Brain?" I smiled. At least Annabeth wasn't that sad anymore. She was smiling, too.

"Alright! Okay, calm down, Bethers. Continue."

"Okay. Too many interruptions. Anyway, they had me, but… it had been a rule in our kingdom that a royal could only marry a royal. No commoner could be in a relationship with a royal. And Mom was afraid that the people will know that she had a relationship with a commoner. She was scared that maybe they'll think she was the black sheep of the royal family, just because she dated a commoner. But Percy," Annabeth faced me, and now I saw that she was already crying, "Athena wasn't the black sheep. She was never the black sheep. She abided by the rules. That was just one mistake. _I'm _the black sheep. Because I'm not pure royal. And I'm a mistake." Annabeth burst into tears, and I hugged her. I know this was hard for her. She never showed that she was vulnerable. Until now. To _me._

"Annabeth, listen to me." I made her look up at me straight in the eyes. "You're not a mistake. You're the most wonderful girl I have ever met." Annabeth smiled and wiped her eyes.

"Thanks, Percy," she said. "So I'll continue. My parents broke up. Mom raised me. She reminded me that I was still a royal. Pure. That the fact that my dad wasn't a royal didn't change the fact that I was one."

"What happened to your dad?"

"Dunno. Mom said he's gone for good. But I did my own research and I found some of his and Mom's old friends, and they said he moved away to another place." She sniffed. I kissed her head.

"I don't know about family mending, Wise Girl, since I've never seen my dad too, but I can promise you one thing: If you ever want to find your dad, I'll help you. I'll help you find him." Annabeth looked at me.

"You will?"

"Yep." She smiled and hugged me, and believe me, even though we're already dating, I still get butterflies every time. I hugged Annabeth back.

"Thanks, Percy," she said softly, her voice muffled because of my shirt (she was nuzzled against me, you see).

"Hey, I'm the best boyfriend the world has to offer." Annabeth laughed.

"Not to mention the sappiest and corniest," she added.

"And the most amazing-est," I said.

"Misuse of superlative-ness," Annabeth said, and were both laughed and resumed the movie and our date. We both sat at the couch, watching all the movies she brought. We sat there, her head against my shoulder and my head against hers. I didn't let go of her hand.

Because even if the whole thing consisted of emotions and tears,

it was still the best first date I have ever had.

**Ugh sorry if this chapter isn't really good. I dunno what to write. So I thought, why not let Annabeth's dad join the plot? Since he's also an important character, too. Sorry if this kinda sucks. But still I hope you liked it, though :)**

** Also, about my updating schedule: Sometimes I update on Sundays but now I'm super busy so I will be updating next Saturday for next week's update, so you guys gotta be patient because it will seem like forever.**

** Anyway, have a nice day :)**

**-Bluecookies19**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Annabeth

I woke up that morning of the first day of spring break because of a loud knock on the door and because of the fact that the bed beside me was empty, meaning Piper was gone. I glanced at the clock on the wall. It read 7:00. Why the hell is Piper gone so early on spring break? And who the heck is knocking so early?

I yawned and stood up, deliberately slowing my pace so whoever was outside would take the hint that I was still sleepy and that I wanted to sleep in because, hey, it's the freaking spring break. But because I was decent enough, I smoothed my hair first before opening the door.

And hey, would you look at that, mini. Heart. Attack.

Standing in front of me was Percy. His dark hair was tousled (as always) and he still looked sleepy, but his green eyes were bright. He wore a dark blue shirt, jeans, and a pair of obviously new sneakers with a black jacket. He carried a paper bag and a back pack.

"Hi," Percy said, flashing me a bright smile and all the sleep inside me went away.

"Hello," I replied, smiling back and letting him in. Percy steeped inside and stole a kiss on my cheek. I rolled my eyes and closed the door.

"Uh, so…" I said, glancing at my unmade bed, "good morning? What brings you here?" Percy chuckled and ran a hand through his hair.

"Well that's a first," he said, gesturing to my unmade bed. I blushed.

"And the last," I muttered under my breath as I went to tidy my bed up. After I rearranged the pillows and the mattress, I turned to Percy. And guess what? The (handsome) creeper was just looking at me with his dazzling ocean eyes. I suddenly felt self-conscious.

"Okay, I know I just woke up and probably have bad breath," I said, "but is it necessary for you to stare at me like that, Seaweed Brain?" Then Percy did the strangest thing (well, not actually). He stepped towards me and kissed me, bad breath and all. I was surprised, so I did not respond that instant, and he kissed me harder, so I did.

Then after 1234567890 years, we broke apart. And Percy was smiling.

"Okay, seriously, Percy, what's wrong?" I asked, his smile infecting me, causing me to smile too. "First you came in here, fully dressed──"

"You want me to come here naked?"

"What? No that's not──"

"I wouldn't mind, Wise Girl." I burst out laughing and slapped Percy on the shoulder. He grinned.

"Perv," I said. "Seriously, though. Why'd you just kiss me for no reason?"

"I actually have a reason," Percy replied. He ticked them off with his fingers. "Reason number one: I guess I got overwhelmed by the fact that you looked so beautiful so I kissed you. Two: you're mine, so I could kiss you when I want to. Three: maybe because I guess I'm in love with you already. And four, you don't have bad breath at all. For all I care your lips taste like strawberries." My heart skipped a beat at reason number three, but I just covered my blush with a smile.

"Okay," I said. "Okay. Um. So what's in the paper bag?" Percy grinned.

"Breakfast," he said. "So now we're totally into the food-inside-the-paper-bag cliché, but I can't think of something else, so yeah. Let's just settle for that. And I brought my laptop with me, because we're gonna have another movie marathon── I promise it's not Nemo! ── and we're gonna look for your dad. I promised you I would help you look for him." My eyes softened. Percy really knew where to hit me.

"How are we supposed to look for Dad with a laptop?" I asked. Percy grinned.

"And I thought you were the smart one." I pouted, and he smiled and pinched my nose. "Easy. Google." I raised an eyebrow.

"Google can't──"

"I bet your dad's somebody big-shot, Annabeth," Percy said. "I mean, your mom wouldn't date him if he wasn't, after all. I'm sure Google knows a lot of big timers. If he's not, we could always use Facebook or other social sites." I looked at Percy blankly. Wow. Seaweed Brain actually became Wise Brain. Percy grinned.

"Trust me. I'm a marine biologist." I smiled.

"Sure," I said. "But can I shower first?"

"Of course," Percy said. "I'll set the food on the table." So Percy set the food while I took a shower. And then halfway before I finished, I realized that I haven't taken my clothes with me inside, and I couldn't possibly change outside the bathroom because Percy was there.

Mentally face-palming, I rinsed one last time and turned the shower off. Then I carefully wrapped the towel around my body and headed outside. When Percy saw me, he blushed and looked the other way. But it was too late, though. He had just seen me half-naked. Poor Seaweed Brain.

"Sorry!" I said as I hurried to my dresser. "I forgot my clothes."

"No, it's okay," Percy said, chuckling nervously. _Yeah. I bet. _"Just don't change in there, okay?" I stopped midway from grabbing a shirt.

"Of course," I said. "But why?" Percy laughed nervously, looking at his hands. He was blushing furiously.

"You have no idea how weak I could be," he said. I gulped. _Whoa. _ I just grabbed a random shirt and pants, and then I hurried inside the bathroom. I felt Percy's eyes trained on my back as I walked, though, and I blushed. I went outside moments later, after drying my hair and hanging my towel. When I got out, I saw that Percy had discarded his jacket and he was squinting on his laptop. The food was laid out on the table, but he didn't touch it. _That's a first._

I cleared my throat and Percy turned to me. He looked at me for a second, and then he looked me up and down then back up. He smiled. I raised an eyebrow.

"What?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"You're wearing my Superman shirt again," was all he said. I blushed and looked down my shirt. It was true. In my haste to save myself from public humiliation (in front of Percy. Gods), I had just grabbed the first shirt I saw. Percy chuckled.

"Too attached to it?" he teased. I rolled my eyes and grabbed a chair, dragging it next to him at the table.

"Tell me about it," I replied sarcastically. I sat down and squinted at the screen. Google was up, and he Percy had typed up _Mr. Chase_. Mental face palm. Percy saw me looking at the words, and he blushed and immediately erased it.

"I don't know your father's name!" he protested. I rolled my eyes and typed, _famous professors in America_ because a) I found out that'd be the most sensible thing to write b) I knew Dad was a professor. I've eavesdropped on Mom and her sister's conversations many times enough for me to know his occupation and c) I wrote _America _because Dad couldn't just leave the country. How did I know? I don't know. I just do.

I smiled when a few headlines appeared on the screen. I started clicking on interesting headlines and scrolled down. And then I felt a tug on my head.

Slowly, I turned to see that Percy was messing with my hair. He was untangling the locks, and his eyebrows knitted together in a funny and cute way. I raised an eyebrow, and Percy seemed to notice that I was aware of what he was doing with me. He turned red.

"What?" he said. "Your hair's all tangled, Wise Girl!"

"Well somebody seemed to be in touch of their feminine side," I said, turning back to the screen. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw Percy turn a shade redder.

"Haha, very funny," he said. He leaned forward and looked at the screen. I became conscious because of our faces' close proximity, so I leaned to the side inconspicuously. Thankfully, Percy didn't notice.

"Wait, your dad's a professor?" Percy frowned. I raised an eyebrow.

"Why, what's wrong with that?" Percy shook his head.

"Nothing," he said. He smirked. "But a professor and Athena combined… whoa." He whistled. "Explains how I got a smartass for a girlfriend." I stuck my tongue out at him (real mature, I know) and focused back on the screen.

There were a lot of categories for professors. Some were Biology ones, some taught English, and the list goes on. It had me asking myself, what would Dad be teaching? And it hit me.

I clicked on the list for professors teaching War History. Immediately, a list appeared and I scrolled down. Next to the people's names were their schools, then their age, then more details. I examined the list of names. Beside me, Percy watched curiously. _Benjamin Abernathy, Harvard. Gale Acer, Yale. Felicia Atkinson, Columbia._

The list went on. Professors from different schools and different places. I skipped to the Cs, and that's when my heart leaped when I saw the name.

_Frederick Chase, New York University._

"Percy!" He immediately leaned forward and looked at to where I was pointing. "I saw him," I whispered. Percy squinted at the screen.

"Oh god," he muttered. He looked at me and smiled. "Annabeth, this is awesome. All this time you and your father are in the same place?"

"We have to go see him!" I said, clicking on his name and looking at his profile. _Mr. Frederick Chase currently resides in Manhattan with his wife and two sons._

I paused. Dad has a wife? Two sons? I had _brothers?_ Percy seemed to be reading the same line (which was pretty hard for him, I guess, since he was dyslexic). He looked at me.

"You're an older sister," he said gently. I nodded blankly.

"I have to see him," I said, turning to Percy. "Percy, I have to." Percy nodded, his lips pursed.

"First thing tomorrow morning," he said. "We're gonna find Dad, Wise Girl." Now, that statement was correct, but I noticed something.

"Did you just call my father Dad?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Percy grinned.

"Course," he replied easily. "I'm your boyfriend. Pretty soon I'll be your husband. He's gonna be my dad, too." I smiled and kissed Percy quickly, earning a surprised blush from him.

"You do know you're the best ever, right?" I said, closing his laptop and standing up. Percy grinned and kissed my nose.

"No need to remind me, Wise Girl."

**And finally I am now able to update. I told you guys it will seem like forever... did it seem so to you? It did to me.**

** Okay. The busy week is over and now I am finally able to rest and I am now definitely tanned, like, OMGs. So, there are some of you guys who said something about Poseidon being Percy's dad or anything... Well, I ain't gonna spoil you, but you guys are pretty smart for coming up with that theory. ;) You'll see soon enough.**

** And I decided to have a little movie marathon and I started yesterday with Beastly. I know it's a little late, but, still. I AM NOW IN LOVE WITH ALEX PETTYFER WTF BUT I DON'T CARE. Tell me if you watched and enjoyed Beastly, and if you have fallen for Alex after watching it, just like I did. *sigh***

** I bought all the Hobbit movies an I'm planning to watch them so I could continue my marathon :)**

** Meanwhile, tell me if you liked this chapter and don't forget to review. Have a nice day! :D**

**-Bluecookies19**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Percy

Who would've thought spring break would be this adventurous? I woke up early the next morning, showered, changed, ate breakfast, and then headed to Goode to pick Annabeth up. I saw her standing by the gates, holding a book and a sling bag. I smiled as she went inside the car.

"Morning," I said. She grinned.

"Too," she said. "You ate breakfast already?" I shrugged.

"If you could call burnt toast and curdled milk breakfast, I'm good." Annabeth rolled her eyes and my heart beat for a second as I took in how good she looked. With her stormy gray eyes and golden hair, she was certainly going to be the death of me someday (and not just me, I know).

"Where do you think Dad lives?" she asked me, pulling me out of my fantasies. I shrugged and started driving.

"New York City," I said. Annabeth stifled a smile. I grinned.

"Of course, Seaweed Brain," she said. "But… be specific. I don't do vague." My typical Wise Girl.

"Let's just… I mean, if it's okay for you, let's go drive around the city and look for him," I suggested. "If we still don't find him today, well, we have the rest of the spring break."

"But what if we don't find him?" Annabeth said softly. I glanced at her and gripped her hand.

"We will." Annabeth smiled.

"Thanks for the faith," she said.

"Yeah, I'm feeling pretty faithful today." We drove through the city.

~oOo~

But somehow, our little quest turned out to be something different. It became a date. (And I'm definitely not complaining.)

You see, because we practically toured the city, Annabeth would sometimes look outside the window and say, "Oh! Percy! It's gelato! Let's try it out," or "Those cotton candy look good. Why don't we have a taste?" And because seeing Annabeth acting this childish was rare and because I just loved her, I would stop driving and buy the both of us food. And so it goes.

We were strolling in Central Park that afternoon, eating ice cream when Annabeth stopped. She blinked for a few seconds then turned to me.

"We completely forgot about it," she said, her eyes wide and aghast.

"What did we forget about?" I asked, reaching to wipe the ice cream on the side of her mouth.

"Dad." And then it hit me. We had been too caught up in our small date we completely forgot about Finding Mr. Chase.

"Percy?" Annabeth asked. I turned to her.

"Yeah?"

"Could I act… like, not me for a second?" I smiled gently.

"Sure." And then Annabeth broke down. I was stunned. Point taken, breaking down wasn't like her. But Annabeth was too strong to cry like this… just because she forgot about something.

I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight against my chest, listening to her sobs. Honestly, it kind of made me angry whenever Annabeth cried. No, I wasn't angry with her. I was angry with the world for making her cry. Because Annabeth was the strongest person I knew, and if even she could break down because of this tiny reason… well, the world must be insane.

Soon Annabeth quieted, but I didn't let go of her just yet. Feeling her small body against me, cocooned in my arms, I gently lifted her off her feet and walked to the nearest bench. I set her down gently and I sat down, too.

"I'm so screwed up," Annabeth muttered, wiping her tears. "Shit, Perce. Sorry if you saw me like this."

"Hey, even the bravest people weep, sometimes." She smiled up at me.

"You think I'm brave?"

"Yeah."

"Well," Annabeth said, gently disentangling herself from me. "This is _so _not me. I just… did I look pathetic?"

"No," I answered honestly. "But to be honest, you looked definitely screwed up."

"I know," Annabeth replied. She sniffed. "I just didn't cry because I forgot about Dad, Percy. I've had so many things bottled up inside me." I could feel my eyes soften.

"Like what?"

"Well… I can't believe how many times I fucked things up."

"Don't say that."

"I did. I forgot about Dad. I failed a few tests. I'm… I'm almost going home. And all these happened all at once." Before she could cry again, I hugged her and kissed her hair.

"You're not going home," I said, firmly bit gently. "I won't let you go." I could feel her smile.

"Thanks," she said.

"No problem," I said. I stood up and pulled her up with me, holding her hand as we went back to my car. "Let's go find your dad."

~oOo~

But we didn't. I think it made Annabeth even sadder. As we drove throughout the city to go to Goode, she just stared at the window. I reached out and took her hand. Annabeth didn't notice.

It was already evening and I knew there would be heavy traffic, so I decided to take a shortcut on one of those avenues. The place had nice houses with great architecture, and I hoped Annabeth would notice and lighten up.

Annabeth did notice. She seemed to realize that this was an unfamiliar route and turned to me. I smiled and squeezed her hand reassuringly (Yep. Still haven't let go).

"Traffic," I said. Annabeth nodded and looked out the window again as I drove, one hand on the steering wheel.

Suddenly, Annabeth gasped and said, "Percy, stop!" I didn't need to be told twice. I slammed on the brake after making sure there was no car behind us. Annabeth looked at me, eyes wide.

"I saw him," she said, slowly smiling. "Percy, I saw him. We have to go!"

"Yeah," I said, smiling, too, because I was glad she was finally doing the same. "Wait a sec. I'll park the car first."

Annabeth got out the moment I braked. She walked fast, and I jogged up to catch her.

"That house." She pointed to one big house. The door was open, letting warm light flood through the floors of the porch, and I saw a tall man talking to a woman.

"Annabeth, are you sure it's your father?" I asked. "I mean, you haven't seen him since you were born."

"I know it's him," Annabeth said. "Percy, I searched his pictures. In Google. And I saw a couple pictures of him at the Palace's library."

I nodded and we both went to the house. I didn't know why, but I was clutching Annabeth's hand so tight. I guess I was more nervous for her than she was for herself. Mostly I was nervous that she'll break down again if things didn't go the way she hoped. Before we completely entered the house, though, Annabeth stopped.

"What if he doesn't recognize me?" she asked. I squeezed her hand and smiled reassuringly.

"He will," I promised. She smiled back and we stopped in front of the house.

The man stopped talking with the woman and she smiled and went inside. Then he looked out and noticed us. He cleared his throat and went down to us.

"May I help you?" he inquired, adjusting his glasses. I opened my mouth to speak, but Annabeth got there first.

"Dad?" she said. Her gray eyes were misty. The man frowned.

"I'm sorry?" he said. Annabeth looked up at me and I nodded, prompting her.

"It's me," Annabeth said. "Annabeth." Mr. Chase's eyes widened and he opened the gate.

"My daughter?"

And I guess it's safe to say that I felt a bit out of place when my girlfriend and her father reunited in front of me.

~oOo~

Helen, or Mrs. Chase (Annabeth's stepmom), put two glasses of orange juice on the coffee table along with a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Annabeth was busy talking with her dad, and both of them were kind of pretty emotional, so I just stared up at the TV, which was playing _Jungle Junction. _The heck? Why would Annabeth's parents play Disney when they could play something cooler? Like, they could've switched to Star Movies or HBO.

But then when I looked down the TV, I saw two little boys playing cars, with toys and Legos around them. And that's when I remembered. _Mr. Frederick Chase currently resides in Manhattan with his wife and two sons._ They were Annabeth's stepbrothers.

After talking and hugging, Mr. Chase introduced Annabeth to Helen and her brothers ("Sister?" One of her brothers, Matthew, asked. "We have an older sister? Where'd she come from, Daddy?") after Mr. Chase did his introductions, Annabeth did her own, starring Percy Jackson.

"Uh, Dad," she said slowly, pulling me in front, "I'd like you to meet Percy. He's um… my boyfriend?" To my surprise, Mr. Chase laughed, and in an instant I knew he wasn't one of those fathers who chase their daughters' boyfriends with an axe or a chainsaw.

"You don't sound so sure, Annabeth." Annabeth chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, sorry about that." She cleared her throat. "This is Percy Jackson, my boyfriend."

"Hello," Mr. Chase said, eyeing me, scrutinizing. Annabeth pinched my arm subtly and I jolted back to reality. "I'm Frederick Chase."

"Oh, hi, I'm, uh," I stammered. Well, this is utter horse shit. I found my voice and continued, "I'm Percy Jackson. Pleased to meet you, sir." We shook hands and Mr. Chase cleared his throat.

"Now, I know I just saw my daughter," he said, "but please don't hurt her, or the sunlight you'll see the day I'll beat you will be the last one, son." I nodded. Okay, I take back what I said. Maybe Mr. Chase was worse than those other dads. But on a happy note, did he just call me _son_? Huzzah!

I cleared my throat and replied, more steadily, "Yes, sir. I would never hurt her." Mr. Chase smiled, his eyes crinkling.

"Good. Would you two like to stay for dinner?" Annabeth and I looked at each other.

"Dad, we would love to, but we're kinda busy tonight. School and stuff. You know, the usual. But we'd love to visit you! Maybe some other time?" Dr. Chase nodded.

"Okay," he said. "Be careful, you kids. And don't forget to drop by anytime, okay?"

"Sure." Annabeth hugged her dad, and then Mr. Chase gave me a one-armed man hug. Then we both said our good-byes and went out the door.

"Best day of your life?" I asked Annabeth when we were inside the car. Annabeth shrugged.

"Probably," she replied. "And it's all thanks to you." I smiled.

"I get something in return, don't you think?" I asked, smiling wryly. "A kiss, perhaps?" Annabeth rolled her eyes, but she smiled.

"Don't push your luck, Seaweed Brain," she said. "You still owe me a lot."

Okay, that was disappointing, but I just drove. Besides, at least we were holding hands along the way.

**Yeah, okay, two things: Sorry if this chapter sucks, and did you notice I updated on a Thursday? (or Wednesday of Friday. Damn time zones)**

** So hello demigods. How you doin'. So if you haven't noticed, I updated on a Thursday when I should have been updating on a Saturday, but I'm gonna go someplace tomorrow and I ain't sure I can post another chapter if not today, so there you go.**

** And to a reviewer who asked about my update schedules, well. I usually update on Mondays before but now I think I'll be updating on weekends. But if I'm busy in the weekends (I know. Things like that happen. Don't we just _adore _school work?) I usually update if I have the chance, like what I'm doing now. **

** And to a reviewer who said something about Annabeth being engaged to Luke, yes, I did not forget about that. I'm completely aware, so Percabeth being together is correct even when Annabeth is engaged. Weird? Dunno. Annie's not to be blamed having a boyfriend when she has a fiance though because it's arranged, not willingly. You get the idea.**

** And about mah movie marathon: I watched Big Hero 6 and I am in love, love, love with Hiro and Baymax. I'm not gonna spoil anyone who hasn't watched the movie. Who watched the movie? Tell me what you thought of it! And oh, if you haven't watched the movie watch it because it's gonna change your fangirl life (in a good way, of course). I also watched Alexander and the terrible, horrible, whatever-the-title is a while ago and it's also epic.**

** Guys have you read Percy Jackson's Greek Gods? It's a bit late but I started reading and it's amazhang! I'm in Hermes' chapter now, and so far everything is awesome. Papa Rick is so phenomenal.  
**

** Sorry for the extra-long author's note but I felt like rambling, and I figured only you guys listen to me. So tell me what you thought of this chapter and review, review, re-vi-yooooo.**

** Have a nice day!**

**-Bluecookies19**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Annabeth

"Oooh, I just feel the love so much today," Thalia remarked as we walked together side by side to our lockers. I looked around and saw what she was talking about. Couples were around us, and they were either publicly making out or just currently being huge believers in PDA. It wasn't usually like this, but today was exceptional, because it was Valentine's Day.

"Thals, it's Valentine's," I reminded her. Thalia snorted as she opened her locker, which was just next to mine.

"You know I don't give a shit about Valentine's Day, Annie," she said. "Cupid and I aren't the best of friends."

"Bitter?" I suggested. Thalia shot me a look, and I shrugged. "That's easy for you to say," Thalia continued, sorting through her stuff. "You've got yourself a boyfriend. Speaking of which, has Percy called you yet?" I felt my stomach drop as I looked at my phone screen. There were no notifications. Percy didn't come to school today, so we just assumed he was out of town with his mom or something, because whenever he was absent, being sick was almost always not the reason. But he hasn't called or texted.

"No." I sighed and opened my locker. Thalia's eyes softened and she smiled sympathetically.

"It's alright, Annabeth," she said. "I'm sure he'll call."

"On Valentine's?" I asked, suddenly feeling miserable. "Did he have to be absent on Valentine's Day?" Thalia shrugged.

"Maybe he had something important coming up," she suggested. I sighed and nodded.

"Maybe," I said. "Would've been nice if he called or something."

"There, there," Thalia said, smirking. "Do you still believe in that little winged cherub?" I rolled my eyes, now smiling as I shut my locker door closed.

"He's stupid." Thalia laughed and I quickly got out some text books, and then we headed off for lunch. The cafeteria was noisier than usual, and I guessed that was because of the juicy gossip and of course, the limited edition shitload of PDA. The table-for-two's were all occupied, and some couples have to sit at one table, so it was like a double or triple date. But there were still a lot of single people, and there were still a lot of groups of friends, so it was just another normal day. Only it was noisier and had extra little love in the air.

Thalia and I went to our table, and Leo waved to us. We sat down next to him, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness you guys arrived," he said. "I'm tired of third wheeling." And that's when I noticed for the first time that the couples in our gang were being cuddly today. Frank and Hazel shared a banana split, and Hazel had a box of chocolates and a bouquet of roses next to her. Jason had his arm around Piper and both of them were talking and blushing while sharing another banana split. A little blue teddy bear along with another bouquet of roses sat next to Piper's side.

"I can see what you mean, buddy," Thalia agreed. "Hey, where's Nico?"

"Got tired of third wheeling, too," Leo said. "He went to the bathroom. Said he was just going to wash his hands, but it had been thirty minutes. I decided to be a scapegoat and stayed." Thalia clapped him in the back, stealing a few of his fries along the way.

"Good job, buddy."

"Hey Annabeth, hey Thalia!" Piper said, noticing us for the first time. The four of them love-sick people waved and greeted us.

"Happy Valentine's Day to all of you," I said.

"Thanks," Hazel said, her golden eyes sparkling with delight. Piper smiled, but then she frowned.

"Annabeth, where's Percy?"

"He's not here," I said, suddenly feeling hollow. "Maybe he went out of the city. He hasn't called me."

"Oh," Piper said. "We haven't seen him this morning, too." I just nodded, and I saw Jason and Frank exchange glances.

"It's okay, Annabeth," Hazel said, smiling. "Maybe Percy's gonna show up later. I'm sure he's not gonna abandon his girlfriend, especially on Valentine's Day."

"Yeah," I said, but it felt like it meant nothing. "He won't."

~oOo~

The rest of the afternoon ended pretty quickly. Pretty soon students were everywhere, still not feeling like going home (no one can blame us. I mean, our class schedules today ended early), and so they decided to just hang out. And of course, couples took their time with PDA. I felt out of place as I walked towards my locker again because they were everywhere, talking, laughing, and kissing. Girls have bouquets of roses and chocolates and stuffed toys in their arms. Or sometimes the guys have those things with them because they still haven't given them.

I tried to repress a sigh as I put on my combination in my locker. Jeez, Goode must really be faithful to Aphrodite and Cupid. I opened my locker, and my heart stopped and I gasped.

Inside was a big bouquet of fresh roses, red and white. Beside it, there was a box of chocolate── wait, no, it wasn't chocolate── it was a box of blue candies. The box was red and the ribbon was blue. Confused, I slowly and carefully took out the bouquet and then the box. I sniffed the sweet-smelling flowers. And then I noticed for the first time that there was one blue rose in the middle of the red and white. (American flag? Was this from the White House?) Suddenly, I heard some gasps and then giggles and I turned to see what they were looking at. And I had to gasp, too.

A huge… wait, how do I put this? A _gargantuan _teddy bear was walking in the middle of the aisle. Couples on the sides, leaning on the lockers, gasped and smiled and pointed. Seriously, it was humongous. There, nice adjective. It was probably even bigger than me. It had light peach fur and a blue ribbon on its neck. And it was walking towards me.

And then it stopped. It waved its hand, and a muffled voice said, "Happy Valentine's, Wise Girl." I smiled and I had to stop myself from crying. The giant teddy bear's head leaned to the right and Percy's head popped out from behind. He was grinning, and his dark hair looked even more tousled because of the bear. His sea-green eyes sparkled happily.

"Happy Valentine's Seaweed Brain," I said. I couldn't stop myself; I leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Why cheek? I could've kissed him on the lips. Nothing's wrong with that, since some couples were even literally making out in public. But the thing is, not everybody knew Percy and I were dating. Just our close friends. Everybody else assumed we were just best friends. That's why a lot of girls still hasn't given up and are still lusting after Percy, and that's also the reason why some boys still keep bugging me. Some people assume we were secretly dating, so they lay off.

Percy blushed furiously and slowly handed me the big teddy bear. When he saw my hands were full with the box of candies and bouquet, he withdrew.

"So, do you like my surprise?" he asked, gesturing to the stuff in my arms. I shrugged.

"It was definitely a surprise," I said, smiling. "I thought the roses from the President, though." Percy laughed. "The candies were so you, Percy."

"Yep," he said happily, like a little kid awarded with a huge slab of chocolate. "I got them from Mom's old candy store. She used to work there, and as a little kid I used to visit. Those blue candies were and still are my favorite."

"Where'd you get this big guy?" I asked, gesturing to the bear. It was so big; its head almost reached the top of the lockers, and its feet was almost skimming the floor. And Percy was holding it up. "Is it heavy?"

"Nope, it's pretty light," Percy said reassuringly. "I got it at a carnival from out of town. Spent half my day trying to win this pal. It was the biggest of the bunch."

"Yeah, I could tell." I smiled as I stroked its soft, furry arm. Then, I frowned. "Wait, what? You went to the carnival?"

"Well, yeah," Percy said, smiling sheepishly. "I wanted to get you a present none of the other guys could give to their girlfriends."

"Percy!" I punched him on the arm lightly. "You shouldn't have ditched school just to give me this. And you didn't even call me!"

"Because I wanted to surprise you," Percy said simply. I rolled my eyes, and I just settled for a smile.

"Whatever," I said. "Just don't do it again, okay?" Percy rolled his eyes and grinned, we started walking away from the lockers.

"I just love it when you're mad, Annabeth. You look so cute."

"Shut up."

~oOo~

Valentine's turned out to be perfect for me, after all. That night, Percy took me to the city and we had dinner at a classy restaurant (why a classy one, I don't know, since Percy wasn't one for panache.). I insisted on paying, but he beat me to it. And then we went to the movies. Percy still bought the tickets, but this time I bought the popcorn and cans of Coke. The movie ended at nine, and Percy drove me back to Goode.

He accompanied me to the dorms, and he was still carrying the huge bear while I still carried the roses and candy (we took them with us to the city and left them in the car). Percy smiled and set the bear down on the floor.

"Had a great time," he said. I smiled.

"Me too." And then he kissed me, and I did too. It was our first proper Valentine's Day kiss, with nobody watching and stuff. After we pulled away, Percy grinned and ruffled my hair.

"Hey!" I reached out to do the same to his hair, but Percy ducked and laughed. I pouted and he smiled and kissed my nose.

"Good night, Annabeth," Percy said. I smiled and this time, I pinched his nose.

"You too, Percy," I said. "Careful driving, okay?" Percy rolled his eyes and I grinned.

"Alright, you go rest. You need help with the bear?" he asked.

"I guess I could handle it," I said. I opened the door and grabbed the bear, and then with a bit difficulty I went inside.

"Night, Seaweed Brain!" I said before I completely entered. Percy smiled.

"Sweet dreams, Wise Girl."

**And wassup there, readers. So I wasn't supposed to update today because I had extreme, major, and negatively positive writer's block, and I lacked an idea for this chapter, but then I thought about Valentine's day so I quickly wrote that down and BAM you've got yourself a chappie.**

** Anyway, hellooooo guys. How's ya like the Percabeth fluff? Hope you did. Tell me what you thought at the reviews!**

** Also, can I ask a favor? This is just to anyone who is willing. I personally think that I suck at writing summaries, and I want to change the summary of this story. Can somebody please rewrite the summary? Just PM me and I'll credit you, I swear. This is just if you want to.**

** Anyways, Review, Follow, Favorite, and have a nice day :D**

**-Bluecookies19**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Percy

Today was the last day of school, and all the students buzzed with excitement as the clocked ticked. It was only a few minutes until the classes end and summer officially starts, and we were all in our respective homerooms, listening to our homeroom teacher ramble about moving on to our next grade and blah, blah, blah. Graduation was next week, but still, the aura of summer got the best of everyone, and we could hardly stay seated as we waited for five to come.

Because today was the last day, we didn't have to wear the school uniform. And a lot of students, especially the girls, decided to take advantage of it by wearing clothes that were summer-themed. Like most boys, I just wore a loose green shirt that had _I'm An Effing Surfer_ printed on it, along with a pair of shorts that came down my knees and my Vans.

I looked across the room and my eyes fell on Annabeth. She was several desks away from me, but I knew exactly where she was. It was a sixth sense, I guess. She sat there, her head on her hand, pretending to be interested in whatever Mr. Brunner, our homeroom teacher, was saying. I couldn't help but notice how gorgeous she looked with her blonde curls down, spilling over her shoulders. She was wearing a short blue sundress that showed off her tanned legs, and although I felt a bit apprehensive because I knew guys would stare at her when she looked like that, I was suddenly thankful that we didn't have to wear our school uniform today.

Annabeth turned and caught me staring, but she didn't look surprised (of course she wouldn't, judging by the amount of times she caught me staring at her even when we weren't dating yet). Instead, she rolled her eyes and grinned. I winked at her, a goofy smile on my face, and she stuck her tongue out at me.

"So, seniors," Mr. Brunner said, clasping his hands together for a finality effect, "I hope each and every one of you learned something this year and the rest, considering this is your last year. Good luck in your college lives, youngsters." The class broke out into applause, even though not everybody was listening; we just clapped because finally, the speech was done and classes are almost there, too.

We all turned our attention to the wall clock above the board, and it read 4:59. The seconds ticked from fifteen, then to ten. We silently counted down, because as much as we wanted to count out loud, this wasn't New Year's Eve and gods forbid that us shouting "Ten! Nine! Eight!" would lead Mr. D into extending our classes until June. That is _so _not gonna happen.

I closed my eyes when the whisperings said, "One." Just then, the bell rang a long, shrilly sound, but it seemed to be drowned out by the noise of the students cheering and standing up from their seats.

"Happy Summer," Mr. Brunner called as he wheeled out the room, chuckling to himself. All of us piled out the classroom, and I grabbed Annabeth amidst the crowd so we could go out together.

"Hi," I said. She beamed up at me, her gray eyes shining with excitement.

"Hi, too," she chirped. "Come on, Percy, we gotta go empty our lockers!" Annabeth grabbed my hand and we ran to the lockers happily, laughing and giggling as though we were little kids. Since my locker was a few feet away from Annabeth's, we had to separate when we got to hers. She just kissed me on the cheek and told me that we were gonna have a race on locker-emptying. I just rolled my eyes and went over to my locker.

After I emptied my stuff, I went and helped Annabeth and Piper with their dorm stuff (Thalia just growled at whoever tried to help her). Annabeth and Thalia were staying in Piper's for the summer, since Piper told them it's gonna be alright (I mean, of course it would; I've been to Piper's once already, and she had a freaking mansion). I'd asked Annabeth if it was okay with, cough, _our_, cough, mom, and she'd said Queen Athena agreed, albeit reluctantly. Also, she would be here for graduation, because hey, when your little princess was the valedictorian, you'd have to put a bit hiatus on your, as Annabeth likes to put it, _Kingdom Responsibilities. _Or, as my girlfriend still likes to put it, _Kingdom Bullshit._

~oOo~

"Are you sure you don't wanna stay with me in my apartment?" I asked Annabeth hopefully as Jason loaded the last of her stuff in the back of Piper's new truck. Jason got inside the truck and Thalia hopped onto the back and sat down next to Piper.

"Nah, I'm good." Annabeth smirked, trying to look sympathetic. "Actually, Seaweed Brain, I think I'm _fabulous._" I rolled my eyes.

"Of course you are," I said drily. "I mean, you're staying at a mansion."

"For two months!" Annabeth sang. I sighed and grabbed her hands.

"I can't believe it's almost over," I said quietly. Annabeth's eyes softened when she realized what I was talking about. It wasn't school, or our being high-schoolers. It was almost the end of our time together.

"Hey," she said. "Listen, Percy. Everything's gonna be alright. We'll find a way." But even as she said it, Annabeth's eyes seemed uncertain. We knew that this was going to nowhere from the start. She was engaged. And she was going to get married four months from now.

"Yeah," I said hollowly. Annabeth managed a smile and squeezed my hand.

"Well, let's not think about it now," she said, trying to be cheerful. "The present is what matters. Let's worry with the future when it's there. Besides, it's summer and it's hot and we're free, Percy. We should just enjoy."

"Yeah," I said, my spirits lifting up a bit although I was still a bit down. "Sure. I'll follow you guys and help with your unpacking, okay?" Annabeth smiled.

"Sure," she said. I helped her get in the back of the truck, and Jason started driving to Piper's. I got inside Paul's Prius, which I borrowed, and started driving, too.

~oOo~

"I'm so proud of you," Mom said, sniffling and trying to contain her tears as she hugged me tight.

"Mom!" I blushed as I tried to adjust my graduation cap. "I haven't even received my diploma yet!"

"Still!" Mom keened, now crying, and she dabbed her eyes with a hanky and she blew her nose. Beside us, a parent looked at Mom and smiled understandingly as she held her son tight too, although she wasn't crying.

"You've gotten so grown up," Mom said. "I didn't pay attention to that much before. But now my little boy's graduating high school!" Thankfully, before she could burst into hysterics, Paul materialized next to her.

"Sally," he said gently, "let Percy find his friends. Save the tears later, hun. I heard your old friend Cory is here. Let's go talk to her." He gently steered her away, saying soothing words to her. He winked at me and I shrugged, smiling.

I tried looking for my friends, but they were nowhere to be found. Soon, I spotted Annabeth, and I waved and ran towards her. She was sitting in one of the chairs, looking at a far distance.

"Hi," I said. Annabeth looked really pretty today. Her hair was curled and let down, the graduation cap sitting on top of her head. She wore no make-up, except for some light blush on her cheeks and shockingly red lipstick. I've never seen Annabeth wear that color on her lips, but I gotta say, she looked _hot _with it. In a more mature way. Oh, well, maybe that was her way of showing that since we're already graduating, she's maturing, too.

"Hey," she replied, smiling. I sat down next to her, carefully adjusting my toga (or maybe they could be called robes?) so they wouldn't skim the dirt.

"Where's your mom?" I asked out of the blue. Annabeth gave me a weird look, and I shrugged. "What? I wanna meet her."

"Oh, you'll meet her soon enough," she told me. "Once the whole school knows there's been a princess in their quad." I frowned.

"What do you mean?" Annabeth sighed and bit her lip.

"Percy, no secrets could remain unknown forever," she said. "Even though I'm not that famous as a princess, Mom is, and then what would the people say when they see the Queen of Olympia attending a graduation ceremony here in Goode? There's only one possible answer. She's here for a student. Preferably a child of hers, and then that child is obviously royalty. And when I come to the stage and she comes with me, everybody will know that I'm the estranged princess of Olympia." I sighed and took her hand.

"You're so smart it hurts," I said, jokingly but quiet. Annabeth let out a small laugh, and she squeezed my hand. Suddenly, we heard somebody clear their throat and we both looked up (after hastily withdrawing our hands) to see a tall woman standing in front of us. She was middle-aged, I guess, and looked beautiful and imperial with honey-blonde curls and familiar gray eyes. And then it hit me straight in the face: this was Annabeth's mother. The Queen of Olympia.

I didn't know if I should just say hi to her (she didn't look so approachable to me) or address her _Your Highness _or _Mom_, but I quickly stood up when Annabeth did.

"Mom," she said. The Queen smiled at her and then at me.

"Hello, Annabeth," she said. "Who is this young man?"

"This is Percy," Annabeth said, gesturing to me with a nervous smile on her lips. I thought she was gonna introduce me as her boyfriend, but then I realized that that was never going to happen. "He's a friend."

"Good afternoon," I said, hesitating. What should I call her? I settled with, "Ma'am." Queen Athena looked at me critically, and I suddenly felt naked. Finally, she nodded and shook my hand.

"I assume he knows, yes?" She wasn't talking to me. She was talking to Annabeth, who nodded.

"Well, then," Athena looked at me in the same meticulous way, "I suppose I must say you are a good friend, Percy." I smiled, although I had the impression that it was the kind of smile you make when you accidentally sat on something wet.

"Thank you," I said. Then I added, "Your Majesty." Athena smiled grudgingly. Then she turned to Annabeth.

"When does the ceremony start, my dear?" she asked.

"In a few minutes, Mom," Annabeth replied. Her mother nodded.

"All right. I will be back. I will just go and talk to your friend Piper's father." She kissed Annabeth on the forehead and walked away.

"Your mom doesn't seem so motherly," I commented when she was gone. "No offense."

"None taken," Annabeth replied. She grinned. "You're right, she's not that motherly. But she is back in Olympia."

"Maybe she thinks you're old enough already?" I suggested. "But I mean, heck, my mom still treats me like I'm still seven sometimes, though."

"That's why I love your mom," Annabeth said, smiling.

~oOo~

Graduation ended with a tears, laughs, and cap-throwing. Parents (moms, mostly) cried tears and blew noses as their sons and daughters accepted their diplomas. Cameras flashed. And as for us students, well, I guess we were just mostly glad because finally, we finished another chapter in our lives.

My friends and I went to the same restaurant we went to months ago, when we celebrated our victories in the Sports Fest. We all had our own family celebrations, but we saved that for later. Piper's dad threw a party for her at their mansion, and we were all going to attend. Leo's uncle and aunt had someplace else to go, but that was okay with him. Frank's grandmother prepared a simple dinner for later. Hazel was coming with him. Jason and Thalia, well… their dad wasn't able to come and Annabeth's mom did for them, so they had no graduation celebration, which was also fine with them. They were headed to Piper's, anyway.

As for me, well, Mom and Paul went with me to Piccolo Angolo. They had a separate table so I could go sit with my friends. They volunteered to pay the bill, despite Piper's offer. So it goes. After the dinner, I accompanied Annabeth, Piper, and Thalia to the McLean estate. The party started at eight, and it was still seven. I was going to head home and then come back later.

Annabeth drew me aside before we entered Piper's front door. She smiled and said, "I've got something for you." I raised an eyebrow, and she withdrew her hand from her back. I saw that she had a box with her.

"Here," she said, handing it to me. "Open it."

"What's inside?" I asked curiously. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"An elephant," she said sarcastically. "A gift, duh." I rolled my eyes back at her and slowly opened the box. Inside was a dark blue ball cap.

"Wow," I said, getting it from the box. "Nice. But, uh, what…?"

"The purpose?" Annabeth shrugged. "To be honest, I didn't have anything else to think of, so I decided to give you that." She blushed. "Sorry. Is it okay?"

"Okay? It's wonderful," I promised. To prove my point, I put it on my head, and it flattened my bangs.

"Aww, you look like a schoolboy," Annabeth said, smiling as she pinched my cheek. "Okay. I'll see you later at the party."

"I'll bring you your gift," I said, now remembering.

"Yeah, thanks," she said. "Bye, Seaweed Brain." She kissed me quickly, and I grinned.

"Happy Graduation Day, Wise Girl."

**A thousand apologies because I know this chapter sucks. But I'm cramming because I wrote on the spot already, which means I write a chapter then upload it, unlike before where I have a few extra chapters before I update. And I'm busy with school and it's shitty -_- And my writer's block still hasn't worn off and I'm losing Percabeth inspiration *cries* guyyys please inspire me with Percabeth. I miss being a normal fangirl. And the wifi, oh gods. Don't even get me started on it.**

** Sorry for the ramble. Review and have a nice day :)**

**-Bluecookies19**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Annabeth

I woke up with a start. I didn't know what woke me── but I was jolted awake for some unknown reason. So I rubbed my eyes and yawned; that was what I always did when I woke up. And then I slowly peeled the thick covers off me── and that was when I saw them.

I screamed.

They screamed, too. Then they started singing.

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, little smart-ass, Happy Birthday to you!" I choked out a laugh. Standing on the foot of my bed were all of my friends── Thalia, Leo, Jason, Piper, Nico, Frank, Hazel, and Percy. They all had paper party hats on their heads and Percy was holding a pink cake with a few candles in them. He grinned and started walking towards me.

"Make a wish," he said, smiling. I raised an eyebrow, trying not to burst out laughing. I didn't know what made me want to laugh, but I just wanted to. The others rolled their eyes at my hesitation, and Leo sighed and Thalia face-palmed, so I closed my eyes and smiled and pretended to make a wish.

What would I wish for? Despite the fact that I was getting married and that I was a princess, my life was, so to say, perfect, I guess. But not the perfect where I'm spoiled or things go my way every time. Like, the perfect where I have my friends, a loving boyfriend, and my academics on check.

I smiled. _I'll save my wish for when I need it._ Then I blew on the candles (there were eighteen of them), and all of them clapped and cheered.

"You guys…" I choked on my own spit, and Percy patted my back, trying to be helpful. I swallowed and continued. "You guys remembered?"

"Of course we did!" Thalia said, sitting down on my bed. "I mean, we get to eat free cake, after all."

"Thalia!" Hazel scolded, but I just laughed.

"Sooooo," Leo drawled, "Miss Princess is now eighteen! Congratulations, can we now slice up the cake?"

"Leo." Thalia glared at him, and he shrugged. "Why don't we give out our gifts?" I nearly choked again. Stupid saliva.

"You guys have that, too?" I asked, feeling my spirits brighten up.

"Uh, duh?" Piper giggled. "Of course. Birthdays are never complete without gifts."

"And here we thought you were the smart-ass," Thalia said. I rolled my eyes.

"Save the gifts for later," I suggested. "And the cake, too. I think we should have a proper breakfast."

"Oh, there's no need to save the cake," Leo said cheerfully. "Percy here bought a big one for your surprise party later."

"Leo!" All of them said together. I tried to contain my smile.

"What?" I said, not because I haven't heard him the first time, but because I wanted him to repeat what he said.

"Nothing," Leo said sheepishly. I rolled my eyes.

"Shut up, I know what you said," I said. I turned to my friends, who were still standing in front of me. "You know you don't have to do it, guys."

"Oh, but we want to," Jason said. "Come on, Annabeth. It's your eighteenth birthday. And you're a princess. You deserve an even more elegant party. This is the least we could do."

"You're not obliged to do it," I protested.

"You're right. We aren't," Percy said, "but we'd still do it because we want to." So I just sighed and allowed myself a smile.

"Thanks for the surprise party," I said. All of them turned to glare at Leo, who held his hands up. Percy winced, but he managed to grin.

"Guess it's not much a surprise now," he said. "Okay. Let's grab some breakfast."

~oOo~

After eating waffles with nearly-expired maple syrup and coffee, we all headed to Piper's pool. Her dad was somewhere off with his girlfriend── he and Piper's mom were divorced── and so we had the whole mansion to ourselves. We all jumped into the pool with our swim suits on. I jumped last, because they insisted the Birthday Girl should be.

After an hour and a half of swimming, we all surfaced and dried up so they could all prepare for my not-so-surprise birthday celebration this evening, while Percy and I would go to the hotel Mom was staying in (she didn't want to "trouble" Piper's dad). She was leaving for Olympia today, after lunch, and she said she would like to meet me first before she did. I know, I know: pretty indifferent for a mom to leave her daughter in her birthday, but when your mother's a queen like mine is, well… you just really need to understand.

Anyway, after dressing myself, Percy and I drove off to the city and to the hotel where Mom was staying at. When we arrived there, I went to the clerk (who was a fat woman with dark purple hair and red lips) and asked her where Mom's room was.

"I should call her first," she said, grabbing the telephone. "Who are you, again?"

"I'm her daughter," I said, trying not to sigh. The clerk raised her eyebrow dubiously.

"So that makes you the princess, eh?" she said skeptically. Jeez, Mom just couldn't settle in going incognito, could she?

"Yes," I answered. The clerk snorted as she waited for the call to pick up.

"Yeah, right," she said. "And I'm Buddha."

"I think I see the similarities," Percy coughed behind me. The clerk glared at him. Then, she turned to me.

"Listen, Miss; we have a royal in our hotel. We just couldn't let anybody have access to her room."

"But I am her daughter!" I protested. "Can't you just freaking tell me her room number? I swear I won't bother you anymore." But she wasn't listening to me anymore. She was listening to the phone attentively. Mom must have answered.

"Oh, yes, ma'am," she said politely. She threw a quick glare to Percy's and my direction. Gee, thanks, hater. "Two teenagers, madam── one girl and one boy. The girl claims to be your daughter." Silence. Then, she turned to me. "What's your name?"

"Annabeth," I said. "Annabeth Chase." The clerk repeated my name to the mouthpiece, and after one moment her eyes widened.

"Yes, madam," she said. "Yes. Thank you, Your Majesty." She put the telephone back to its original place and turned to me, her eyes wide.

"I'm so sorry, uh, Your Highness," she stammered. "I didn't realize you were really her daughter──"

"Yeah, no. What's her room number?" I asked.

"Room 453. Would you like me to accompany you?" Percy and I exchanged looks, and I just smiled and shook my head.

"No, thank you," I said. "Buddha." With that, Percy and I started walking towards the elevators, leaving Miss Fatty alone, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open.

~oOo~

"Come in, come in." I recognized Josephine, my old chambermaid from before. She opened the door and beckoned us in. Mom's hotel room was huge. Of course. What else is new?

"The Queen is still in the bath," Josephine said, bowing. "Oh, Miss Annabeth, how much you've changed."

"Good way?" I asked nervously. Josephine beamed and nodded.

"Thanks," I said. "Um. We would just… sit here. Can we, just, like──" Josephine got what I was talking about and she bowed again, and then exited the room. Percy and I sat down on the couch.

"Your mother must be really rich," he commented. "This is already like a suit."

"I can't tell the difference," I said honestly. Percy and I just looked at each other for a while, getting lost into the other's eyes── him swallowed by gray mist, and me drowning in green waters. And then we kissed. For about, ten seconds or more── until we heard the bathroom doorknob click, and we sprang apart.

I awkwardly began messing with my hair and Percy bit his lip and fiddled with his thumbs as the door opened and Mom came out, fully dressed. She seemed surprised when she saw us, even when she knew we were coming. I hoped it wasn't obvious that Percy and I just kissed.

"Mom," I said, standing and walking over to give her a hug.

"Hi," she replied, hugging me back. "Happy Birthday."

"Thank you," I said. "You sure you don't wanna come join the party later?" But I was secretly hoping she couldn't, because even though I'm legal now, I will never have the freedom whenever Mom's around.

"I'm sorry, dear, but you know I have to go back to Olympia," Mom said. She tried to smile. "Do not worry. I will call you later."

"When's your flight?" I asked.

"Actually, I will be heading to the airport now," she said. "It's in about twenty minutes."

"I thought it was after lunch," I said, frowning. Mom just pursed her lips.

"I just need to get back as soon as possible," she said. "And now is the most possible."

"Do you want me to accompany you to the airport?" I asked. Mom looked at me quizzically.

"Do you want to?" she asked. I shrugged.

"I'm not busy," I said. She nodded.

"Very well," she said. "Come. We must not be delayed. I hear New York is infamous for its ceaseless traffic." Silently agreeing, I followed her out the room and Percy followed. I rode with Percy to the airport, and when it was ten minutes before Mom's private jet takes off, she beckoned Percy forward.

The both of them talked── or Mom talked and Percy listened ── while I stood there a few meters away from them, and out of earshot. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Percy nodded and he went back to me, followed by Athena.

"Good-bye, Annabeth," Mom said. Then she hugged me. "And Happy Birthday."

"Thanks, Mom," I said. "Have a safe trip." We hugged again and I waved at her as she walked off towards the jet.

When the plane was finally gone, I turned to Percy.

"What did she say to you?" I asked. Instead of answering, Percy looked at me for about ten seconds, and then he leaned over and kissed me. It didn't last long── before I knew it, he had pulled away. But it wasn't just a peck, either.

"Uh, Seaweed Brain?" I said, although I was blushing furiously. "What was that? What did she say?"

"Your mom's really scary," Percy said. "I'm lucky I didn't get── what was that word you always use? It ends with 'ate.'"

"Annihilate? "I asked. "Obliterate? Eradicate? Eliminate? Why would she do that?"

"No," Percy said, thinking deeply. I could almost see the wheels turning in his head. "Ate… Rate…"

"Colgate?" I suggested. Percy shot me a look. "What? Incinerate?" Percy snapped his fingers.

"Yeah, that's the word," he said. "Incinerate."

"Why would she incinerate you? She doesn't carry matches and lighters in her pocket, you know."

"But her stare! The way she glares at me, it's just so, so──" Percy looked at me helplessly. "Ah, you know what I mean."

"No, I don't," I said, just to tease him. "What did she say to you?"

"She said something about me stealing a lightning bolt," he replied sullenly. I raised an eyebrow, and Percy just grinned and shook his head. "Kidding. She just told me that I'm a good friend── yeah, Wise Girl, your mom just freaking _friend-zoned _me── and told me to protect you all the time. I promised her I would." I punched his arm, and Percy rolled his eyes.

"Of course you would," I said. "Or I'd beat the lights out of you."

"I tremble with fear," Percy said sarcastically, and I playfully punched his arm again. In return, the moron gave me a kiss. A sweet, short, Birthday Kiss.

**So I know today's Monday and I should have updated last Saturday or yesterday but I was super busy until now (because I have exams coming up and I really have to study) and I just got home and I went immediately to my laptop so I could update and the WiFi sucks . Sorry for the ramble, but I'm glad to get these things outta my chest.**

**So how did you like this chapter? I hope you did even though it's not that a filler, but I just got over my writer's block, so I hope this is an okay chapter. And I don't know about you guys, but it's almost the end of this story. Next chapter (spoiler) will be the plot twist (or nah. I dunno what to call it, but from there things will definitely change), and it's gonna be Seaweed Brain's birthday!**

**Anyway. Thanks for reading, and please, please, please review. It would mean the world if a lot of you would. Thanks for those who do, by the way. I appreciate all the good things you had to say.**

**Okay, I'll stop. Review and have a nice day!**

**-Bluecookies19**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Annabeth

I really shouldn't have kicked that guard's groin. But they have been pestering me for so many days already, and by now they should have gotten the hint that I was pretty pissed. So I didn't actually have a choice when they cornered me this morning at the grocery store. (Well, I _did _have a choice, and it was either kick some balls or run away without a fight. I chose the first one because it was much more fun.)

So what happened this morning, anyway? Well, let me tell you that it's an act of betrayal. Too vague? I'll start at the beginning. I was really going to be married next month in September (Hola!) but then Mom decided to do a little improvisation of, well, betrayal.

She called me one night, saying that I should go home to Olympia because my wedding was somewhere in August 21st and I had to prepare and blah, blah, blah. My first reaction, of course, was: o_O then became 0_0 and eventually, it became -_-

I could've just said no, but Mom had to send a few guards to come and fetch me, along with, hey there, Mr. Octavian Jerkface. When I heard what she did, at first I was, like, _Oh, it's okay. They don't know where Piper's house is, anyway. _But boy, was I wrong.

They came, they asked to talk to me, we did, they persuaded me to come home (in vaiiiiiiinnn!) and I refused. At first Octavian seemed lenient, but he coolly told me I'd go home before September arrives. I told him to wake me up when September ends.

And thus started the endless "happenstances" and the lot. Almost everywhere I went, they were there; at the mall, in Target, in the grocery store, heck, even in the public toilet! I was lucky that these places were public, though. That was why I was able to escape them.

So why didn't I ask for help? They could be accused with, like, I dunno, _stalking_. But I can't actually sue them, and you guys know that. You also what'll happen if I try to. I couldn't tell Percy, too. He'll just gonna go panicked and then he'll try and fight them off in a heroic way and he's gonna know the reason why they were here. That wouldn't be good.

So they cornered me this morning while I was at the grocery store (it was pretty isolated in the early parts of the day) and so I was forced to kick Octavian's right-hand man, Hibbard, on his privates. After he crumpled, I ran away and drove off quickly to Piper's. I was pretty sure my Converse wasn't as much as, _cough,_ immaculate, _cough, _as it was before, but at least, if Hibbard didn't have children someday, you'd know the reason. At least a princess blessed him already if he _did _have some kids. So now here I am, alive and unscathed (for the most part) and back in Piper's room and telling her and Thalia the story.

"Whoa," Thalia said after a while. "I've talked with that Hibbard guy sometime before. You just destroyed his best asset, Annie."

"Eww." Piper looked horrified. "I've never heard of somebody whose best asset is their… you know."

"I don't know," Thalia said innocently. I rolled my eyes.

"I just don't wanna go home," I said quietly. "I've built my life in here."

"Annabeth, we don't want you to go home, too," Piper said gently. "If we could, we'd help. But I don't even know what to do with all these."

"It's inevitable," Thalia said, and Piper glared at her.

"Thalia, you're not helping!" she said.

"But," Thalia continued, "it could be, like, I dunno, veered away from? Annabeth, you could just run away. Hide. I'll go with you. We'd settle someplace away from Olympia── somewhere in Asia! Biggest continent. Korea, Japan, China── Oh, wait, I don't know their language. The Philippines, Thailand. Is Hong Kong good? I wanna go to Disney Land. Anywhere but here. Maybe in Africa! Or Jamaica. Someplace your mom can't find us in. Uh, hey, Beauty Queen, what about that cool place you went into last summer?"

"The Maldives?" Piper asked.

"Yeah."

"Sounds like a plan," I said, smiling, although I knew it was never going to happen. "Thanks, Thals, but I guess we all know it's too late for that." Thalia sighed and nodded.

"But what do we need to do?" Piper asked. Her question wasn't answered because my phone suddenly rang. I checked the caller ID and had to smile. It was Percy.

"Hey, Birthday Boy," I greeted. "What's up?"

"The sky, the clouds, and my head," Percy replied. I rolled my eyes, but I smiled.

"Corny. Happy Birthday," I said.

"Thanks," Percy said. "What's your gift for me?" I imagined Percy waggling his eyebrows when he said that, just like he always do.

"I have no gift for you," I said.

"What? That's positively mean!"

"I know. I like bullying you."

"But…" Percy stammered, "Having no gift for me… it's illegal!" I laughed.

"So do I go to jail?"

"Wise Girl!" Percy whined. "Come on!"

"Not so fast, Kelp Head. I'll give it to you later."

"Ha!" Percy said it so loud, I winced. "You said _I'll give it to you later_. So that means you do have a gift for me!" There was a long pause. After I few moments, I said, "Are you doing a victory dance?"

"Ah, you know me too much," Percy said, and I could hear the grin in his voice. "Okay, thanks for your gift, I'm sure it's wonderful. Bye, love you!" With that, he hung up. Thalia and Piper gave me knowing smiles, and even though I smiled, I was almost crying inside.

This might be my last day with Percy.

~oOo~

"So, cupcakes, check, blue Coke, check," Thalia read aloud from the list she was holding.

"Oh, wait, are the cupcakes blue?" I called out from the stool I was sitting on beside the kitchen counter.

"Of course," Thalia said, rolling her eyes. "Percy hardly eats anything that isn't blue."

"Do we have blue cheeseburgers?" I asked.

"That would be gross," Piper said as she took out a carton of eggs from the fridge. "He should really cure his blue addiction."

"That seems incurable, unfortunately," I said. I was trying to break one of the eggs Piper handed me perfectly, but I always made a crack on the top instead of the middle. "Ugh. I'm never gonna be a chef."

"Here." Thalia grabbed an egg. "Here is the proper way to break an egg _perfectly_, Your Majesty." But instead of cracking it on the rim of the glass bowl, she hurled it onto the wall, where, point taken, it cracked perfectly.

"Thalia!" Piper said, but she looked amused.

"Alright, your turn," Thalia tossed me an egg, and I caught it and flung it to the wall. I thought about what Mom did to me. I thought about the unfairness of life. I thought about the dread of leaving Percy. I put all the anger and bitterness in my hand as I threw the egg. It shattered next to the gooey remnants of Thalia's egg. A few pieces of eggshell stuck into the wall, slowly sliding down a few moments later.

"Wow, impressive," Thalia said, clapping her hands. "Here, try another one." She gave me another egg, and just as I threw it again on the wall, somebody sang/shouted, "I'm here!"

We all turned around. It was Hazel. She was carrying a paper bag with her, and her eyes darted from the egg ammo in Thalia's hand and to the wall.

"God," she said, coming to us and setting the paper bag on the counter. "What's with the egg-throwing?"

"I call it therapy," Thalia announced. "To let go of anger. See, Annie here was problems. Here you go, girl. Collapse that freaking wall." She handed me another egg, and I gladly threw it, imagining the wall was Octavian's face.

"Whoa, what problems?" Hazel asked, sitting down next to me. "And Piper, is it okay? I'd like to try." Piper shrugged and smiled, like, _go ahead_, but Hazel looked at me worriedly. "Problems?" Piper immediately filled her in while Thalia served as my egg-handler. We finished a carton of eggs, and she went to the fridge to retrieve another set.

"Hold your horses, Thalia!" Hazel said when she saw the new carton. "Do you know how many chickens work hard just to lay eggs? You're just wasting it!" I tried to look ashamed, but Thalia just rolled her eyes.

"Listen to Piper, and you'll realize how we really need eggs in this therapy," Thalia said. Hazel stuck her tongue out and Thalia blew a raspberry. When Piper was done telling the story, Hazel shook her head.

"That's really bad," she said to me. "I'm sorry, Annabeth. Go throw those eggs."

"It's alright," I said.

"When do you think they're coming back?" Hazel asked. "I mean, your wedding, if they're telling the truth, is this Friday."

"Let's just hope they won't come back," I said. "But if they do… well, it's most likely they will. I just wish they would leave me alone, even just for today."

Percy

Today's the day. My birthday, I mean. So that means I'm a year older. It also means I'm already legal! Oh, the many things I could do. Now I can drive with a proper license, drink alcoholic stuff (not like I plan on doing it, anyway, but you never know), and all the other things adults could do. I might even get married with Annabeth.

Speaking of which. I noticed Annabeth was acting… strange, lately. She seemed so wary of everything, and when I asked her about how life was at her home, she would tense and just say, "It's fine." My head may be full of kelp, but I knew something was up. She just wasn't telling me.

It was already five in the afternoon and my friends and I all agreed to meet up at Piper's by six. Not to sound conceited or anything, but I knew they have prepared a surprise birthday party for me. How'd I know? Well, considering the fact that we always have a surprise birthday for anyone in our group who celebrates his or her birthday, ironically enough, I wouldn't be surprised. We've done it for Jason. We've done it for Leo (although he forced me to go to a party the Stolls held at school when it was his birthday). And we've done it for Annabeth. I wouldn't be astonished if they did it for me, too.

So there I was, driving to Piper's in Paul's new car (he'd insisted I should get the honor of driving it, since it was my birthday). I arrived at the huge doorstep and rang the doorbell twice. But instead of somebody opening the door, a voice from a speaker above the door I've never noticed before said, "You can come inside." So I tentatively held the doorknob and opened the door slowly. And BAM. Shocker.

I heard a loud BANG and a shower of confetti rained down everywhere, making it impossible to see for a moment. When it all subsided, I saw my friends in front of me, smiling and singing the same ditty we sang for Annabeth, but changing the lyrics a bit.

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, dear dimwit, Happy Birthday to you!" And then Annabeth came out from behind, looking as beautiful as ever, smiling and holding a big blue a cake with a candle shaped like 18 on it.

"Make a wish, Seaweed Brain," she said. "And oh, I thought about the candle. It's much easier to blow in just one than eighteen of them, right?" And then she kissed me. While she did, I closed my eyes and thought, _I wish this would last forever._ (Just a small clarification; I wished that the time with Annabeth would last forever, not the kiss. Although I wouldn't be complaining if the latter did last forever.) Then I blew the candle and everybody cheered and slapped me on the back.

"OKAY! FOOD TIME!" Leo shouted. He carefully got the cake from Annabeth's hands and dashed to the kitchen, and everybody ran after him, yelling, "careful of the cake!" and "get your filthy hands off my fries!" Annabeth grinned and tugged at my hand.

"Come on," she said. "We wouldn't wanna miss the fun, right?"

"And the food," I agreed. "Always the food." Annabeth rolled her eyes and she ran, pulling me along with her.

~oOo~

Now, the thing about friend-prepared birthdays── there will always, always be another party after it. And so it goes. Piper hired the Stolls to throw a party at her place tonight. When asked about her dad, she said she'd asked permission from him, and he'd agreed since he would be busy taping tonight, anyway (did I mention Piper's dad was a superstar?).

Now it was already seven and little by little the people came. Some greeted me a happy birthday, some gave me a fist bump or a high five, and some blew me kisses and winked at me (that goes for the girls, duh). All in all, everybody said hello to Birthday Boy.

The party was full-on by seven-thirty. But I didn't really go inside, although the party was partly on behalf of me. I was grateful to Piper for the effort, but honestly, I'm sick of parties. I never really liked them. It's all so loud and hot and just… ugh. Forget it.

I was headed for the kitchen and I saw a pink Post-It note on the kitchen counter, pinned down by a blue apple. A toothpick that was decorated by a paper arrowhead and blue feathers emerged from both sides of the apple. I smiled and grabbed the note from under the apple.

It said:

_Garden at eight. Near the rosebushes. Don't be late if you want to get your present :)_

_-Wise Girl_

I smiled wider and folded the note, tucking it in my pocket. I removed the little arrow from the apple and bit into it, realizing it was candied. I smiled and checked my watch. Seven-fifty. So I decided to start making my way to the gardens.

When I arrived there, I faced another problem; where the hell are the rosebushes? What do rosebushes even look like? I decided I'll know when I see it. Right now, I have to find it first. But it didn't seem like I needed to, after all. Under the glow of the series lights and the lamp lights, I saw a blonde head sitting in a bench under a maple tree.

I didn't know what made me do it, but I decided to surprise Annabeth. I sneaked up from behind the tree, but just as I yelled at her ear or tickle her from behind, she sighed and said, "I know you're in there, Percy." I sighed and plopped down next to her.

"How'd you know?" I asked.

"Because I know you," Annabeth replied matter-of-factly.

"And you like me, anyway?" I shot back playfully.

"No, no," she said sarcastically. "I like John Smith."

"Who's that?" I asked, suddenly suspicious. "Pocahontas' love interest?"

"That's the name of Pocahontas' boyfriend?" Annabeth asked, astonished. "Honestly, Seaweed Brain. I was just kidding."

"So…" I said, eager to change the subject. "My gift?"

"Well, aren't you demanding." Annabeth rolled her eyes and stared to reach behind her back. "Oh, wait. Close your eyes."

"Why?" I tried not to whine.

"Do you want it or not?"

I closed my eyes. When I opened them, I saw that Annabeth was holding a box wrapped in blue. She held it out to me, and I took it.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Open it," Annabeth prompted. I looked at the box in my hands, and then back at her. Then, I kissed her, quick and short.

"What was that for?" Annabeth asked softly. I smiled and shook my head.

"I love you, Wise Girl," I said, and I realized it was the first time I said those words to her. "I love, love, love you to Olympus and back." Annabeth's eyes were shining, and it made the last corny statement worth it.

"I──" she began, but she was interrupted when we heard the soft _crack_ of a fallen branch. I stood up and Annabeth did, too.

"Who's there?" I asked cautiously. Maybe it was my friends, hoping to catch us in the act of PDA. But they were at the party…

Another snapping sound, and I grabbed a fallen branch. I grabbed Annabeth and slowly backed up, but just as we started walking away from the garden, a figure jumped up in front of us and knocked my head with a fallen branch, sending me crumpling to the ground. I was able decipher two big guys grab Annabeth's arms, dragging her away, and a familiar blonde boy stepping in front of me.

"I knew it!" The blonde guy cried. I blinked and my eyesight cleared a little, although my head was still throbbing. "I knew it. Infidelity! Infidelity to the Prince!"

"What are you talking about?" I yelled at the guy. "Who are you?"

"I am Octavian, the adviser of the prince of Sobryta who this girl," he spat on Annabeth's direction, "is already engaged to."

"That girl is your princess!" Annabeth said furiously, stepping forward, but the two guys holding her prevented her from doing so. "You must not talk to me like that, and you know that. I could sentence you to death, you know."

"Ah, you wouldn't dare." Octavian sneered and kneeled in front of me. "Because your _friend_ here would surely face death for dating with an engaged princess." He grabbed my chin roughly and I glared up at him.

"What?" Annabeth said, frowning. "How do you know that?"

"'I love you, Wise Girl,'" Octavian spat. "Bah. Disgusting sobriquets. If your mother finds out about this… well, I'll admit I'd like to see her reaction. But no matter. Because I am a compassionate person, I shall not tell your mother about this, if you come with us and keep quiet about what I said and did tonight."

"Luke will never want this to happen!" Annabeth shouted. "You asshole!" Octavian winced, but he sneered again.

"The prince doesn't know my plans," he said. "He only knows I'm here to fetch you, and they expect it to be smooth and gentle, since you are a princess. But I will prove them wrong." He continued his monologue, and I took the time struggling to stand up. When I finally did, I tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey," I said, and before Octavian could realize what was going to happen, I swung a fist onto his face. I swear blood flew from his mouth. He reeled back, holding his mouth. His eyes blazed when he looked at me.

"Harassment to royalty!" he screeched. "I swear, Percy Jackson──" I punched him again. But this time, one of the two men holding Annabeth strode over to me and beat me. I tried to fight, but he was bigger and I was still dizzy from when I was clubbed on the head.

"Ha!" Octavian cried when he was able to regain himself. "Take that, you bastard!"

"Percy!" Annabeth screamed. I was vaguely aware of the taste of blood in my mouth when I raised my eyes to look at her. Her hair was disheveled and her face and eyes were shining with tears, but to me she had never been so beautiful.

"Annabeth," I managed to choke out, but the man socked me one last time and I fell down.

"Percy!" Annabeth screamed, desperately clawing her way out the man's arms. "Percy── hold on, I'll get help──"

"Enough!" Octavian growled. "Come on. Let us go." They started walking away, carrying Annabeth with them as she screamed and kicked. I spat out the blood from my mouth and with the last of my strength, yelled, "Annabeth!"

But they were gone.

And Annabeth was gone, too.

**So sorry for the late update but I have been so busy recently and I still got this article about Homecoming to finish... again, I apologize, and I'm rushing, but I do hope you liked this chapter and please review! Have a nice day :)**

**-Bluecookies19**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Percy

I'd like to say things went better than I expected them to be after that. Of course they didn't.

We were in the kitchen, sitting around the counter when I told them. When my friends heard the news, they had different reactions. Thalia said _fuck _and stormed off into her bedroom upstairs. Piper burst into tears. Hazel did the same, and she went to get some ice for my face. Jason gritted his teeth and stayed silent, but I could see anger in his eyes. Leo seemed clueless at first, and then he went upstairs without a sound. Frank looked confused.

And I was devastated.

"So what are you gonna do now?" Jason said after Hazel handed me the ice pack. "You're just gonna let Annabeth get married?"

"Of course not," I said. "But could I change anything?" Jason was silent for a moment. Then he sighed and shook his head.

"I suppose not," he said. "But I'm gonna think of something. Don't worry, Percy, we're gonna help you out." I managed a grateful smile, but before I could think of something else to say, I heard a frustrated scream and we all turned to see Thalia marching down the stairs, her face red.

"I'm gonna fucking kill that Octavian!" she fumed. "How dare that puny little bastard do that? I swear, I'm gonna Taser him in his miserable balls once I grab a hold of his neck. See if he likes that!" We all looked at Thalia nervously. When she was angry, a mini World War III would happen.

"Thalia──" I began, but she flashed me an irritated look.

"It would've been _nice_ if they took me with them, so I could make sure they don't borne a child someday," Thalia continued angrily. "Oh, the many things I could do to those assholes." She slammed her fist into the countertop, and everybody flinched. Before somebody could say something, we heard another sound from the stairs and we saw Leo coming down, heaving two suitcases with him. He smiled and came to us, and when we looked at him blankly, he gave us an annoyed look.

"What the hell, guys?" he said, sounding miffed. "Annabeth's in trouble! Why haven't _you _guys packed your bags?"

"You didn't have to remind us," I muttered.

"What's with the bags, Leo?" Piper asked, sniffling. Leo rolled his eyes as if he couldn't believe what we were saying.

"Oh, for Tartarus' sake. Annabeth's in trouble. She's in an unwanted marriage. She's gonna get married this Friday."

"And?" Thalia prompted. Leo sighed.

"_Di Immortales! _I feel like crashing a wedding, that's what I mean!" Slowly, Leo's words started to sink in. One by one, we all started to grin.

"Oh," I said.

"Tough audience, you lot," Leo said dryly. "Sheesh. Well, what are you waiting for, Christmas? I still got to rent a tux, dude!"

"Okay!" Jason said, standing up. "Okay. Pack up, everybody. We're going to Olympia. And Leo, just bring a back pack, man. That's too much." While Leo grumbled and everybody rushed upstairs to pack, I drew Jason aside.

"Thanks, Jason," I said quietly. "If you guys weren't here, I wouldn't know what to do." Jason smiled and patted my shoulder.

"Don't worry, Percy. We'll get through this." We were both silent for a moment. Then, Jason said, "So what are you gonna do when we get there? I don't suppose we take Leo _that _literally, right?"

"I don't know," I said miserably. "I'll beg the queen. Or run away with Annabeth. I'll do anything." Jason sighed and put a hand on my shoulder.

"We're all in this together," he said. "Maybe I can help, too. Dad and Queen Athena are close friends. Maybe I could ask him."

"Thank you," I said. Jason smiled.

"Go pack your bags. I'll ask Piper to get her dad's jet ready."

~oOo~

When Mom saw me enter the throne room that morning of August 19, she cried. Surprise, surprise; but not with grief because she saw how road-kill I looked like. She cried wit happiness and she came to me and hugged me. So how did Octavian get away with the bruises he inflicted on me when he decided to beat me on the way here?

Easy. He made sure I looked presentable and told his best make-up artist to cake up my face with make-up so the bruises in my cheek wouldn't show. I would've looked beautiful if it wasn't for my scowl. Never before have I wanted to rip off my hair in front of my mother so much and scream, _This is what I looked like on the way here!_

Unfortunately, Octavian seemed to read my intentions and shot me a warning look. If I told Mom, then halleluiah, his sorry ass is gonna be thrown of the palace. But if I did, Octavian would tell Mom about my relationship with Percy, and Mom is either gonna kill me or Percy. Whichever comes first. When I was sent back to my room, Octavian drew me aside.

"If your mother sees your bruise," he snarled, "don't you dare tell her!"

"Well what am I supposed to say?" I said dryly. "I slipped?"

"Use your head, Your Highness!" Octavian snapped. "Don't act dumb." I pretended to look surprised.

"Oh, was I?" I asked. "Well, it's not my fault if I can't use my head properly, considering you kicked it a while ago on the plane."

"Quiet!" Octavian hissed. "Go. Rest." I scoffed.

"Wow, so now you're concerned?" I snapped. "Listen, Octavian. We're in my home now. I still act superior. You can't boss around me anymore, or hit me until I have bruises all over my body."

"Of course, but I can still tell your mother about your infidelity," he replied coolly. I raised an eyebrow.

"Go ahead, then," I challenged. "I dare you. Besides, what have I to lose now, anyway? But if I told Mom about what you did, you will lose _everything_, maybe even including your own life." For once Octavian looked scared. Then he looked angry. But he sighed irritatingly and grudgingly bowed.

"Yes, Your Highness," he said through gritted teeth. I gave him a smug smile, a smile masking pain and sadness.

"Get lost," I said, and he went away.

I didn't go up to my room. Instead, I went outside to the garden, one of my favorite places here in Olympia aside from my bedroom. Some of the guests of the wedding were already here; kings and queens, princes and princesses, all to witness the stupid matrimony between Luke and I. If there were so many princesses, then why didn't Luke get to marry them?

I lifted my skirts off the ground, careful not to brush the ruffled white fabric on the dirt. I went to the garden and found the pool (the _other _pool, not the main one) in the middle of the plants and flowers. I took off my shoes and sat on the edge, letting my feet submerge in the water. Looking at the clear blue, I remembered the time when Percy pushed me to the school's pool. I didn't know how to swim back then. He was the one who taught me.

Percy. How could he be? I remembered how he looked like when they took me away. They beat him, too. The last thing I heard before I passed out was his voice yelling my name. I hope he was okay. And what about my friends? Did they know by now? What could've been their reaction?

"Good morning." I turned to see a tall man standing behind me. He seemed to be middle-ages, like Mom, with black hair, a good tan (even for his age) and green eyes. He gave me a smile, and his eyes crinkled in the corners. I felt a shiver down my spine at how familiar he looked, although I never saw this man in my entire life.

"Uh, hello," I said. I turned back to gazing at the water.

"Do you mind if I join you?" the man asked. I shrugged and shook my head. He smiled and took of his shoes and socks, and he sat down next to me, placing his feet into the water like I did.

"Are you the daughter Athena has told me she had?" The man asked. I nodded, and he smiled again. "Well. You seem to be too young to get married."

"I know," I said miserably. I turned to the man. "Why is it so unfair?"

"I do not know," the man said. He looked at me. "What is?"

"Life."

"Life is always unfair."

"Yeah, but why did it have to be like this?" I asked. "Like you said, I am too young." His face softened.

"Young," he said gently. "Indeed. Why, you would just be my son's age as of today."

"You have a kid," I said. It wasn't a question.

"Oh, I have lots of children," the man said, suddenly laughing. I raised an eyebrow, and he shrugged. "I am joking. But I do have a son, and he's a prince. He came here with me today." So this dude was a king, if his son was a prince. Huh. Figures.

"How old is he?" I asked, already feeling sorry for the kid. He'd face the same fate as I would when he turns eighteen.

"Fourteen," the man said. He smiled. "He'd be king someday. Once I'm done with my duties." But he seemed sad about the fact. I looked out into the water again. Then, I sighed and turned back to the man.

"Have you ever tried, like, breaking all the rules?" I blurted out. The man raised an eyebrow, but his eyes twinkled and a smile tugged at his lips, as if he were amused.

"Of course," he said. "A lot of times, my dear."

"Do you regret those times?" I asked softly. _Because I don't regret mine._

"No, not at first," the man replied. "You will never regret breaking the rules, Annabeth. You will only regret it when you face the consequences."

_Consequences._ Wasn't this enough punishment for me?

"Why, my child, have you tried breaking the rules?" the man asked me.

"Yes," I admitted. "And I don't regret it. Can you keep a secret?" The man looked out the sky, and he had a faraway look in his eyes.

"The sea knows a lot of secrets," he said finally. "And it never tells. Instead it buries what it sees and hears deep inside." I didn't know why he said that, since we've never mentioned the sea, but if he was comparing himself to it, then maybe it was his way of telling me that he could be trusted.

"My mom sent me to New York," I began. "To a school for rich kids, because I asked her to. I wanted to live a normal life, to experience high school before I got married."

"Yes," the man said, nodding.

"It was cool, at first. I told myself not to get attached too much, since it was just for one year. But I made friends. And I… I met this boy."

"Boy?" the man mused. He looked amused, but I thought I saw a glint of sadness in his eyes. "Go on, my dear."

"You could guess what happened," I said. "We became friends, and eventually… I think we fell in love. But my time was up. I came back here. And… I don't think I'll ever see him again." My voice cracked in the end. I sounded pathetic. And I was sharing my problems with a man I didn't even know whose name is.

"You know, Annabeth," the man said after a while. "I did the same thing before." I looked up.

"What?"

"I was sixteen," he said. "My father took me to the same city. There I met a girl. We fell in love. We had a relationship for some years. We even had a child. He was a boy. But then my father took me back to our palace, saying I am to get married, to another woman. I was devastated, too, like you. But I held on hope, that someday, I'd see my love again one day, and my son.

"I got married, yes. And over the years I grew to love my wife. But I didn't forget about my past before. I promised myself before I found out that I was to get married that I would come back to my old girlfriend and our child. But I was married, so I could not continue my relationship with her. But I would do my responsibilities as a father to my son."

"What did you do?" I asked him.

"I provided money for him. I made sure they lived a good life. My old loved one eventually got married to another man, and I know my son is in good hands."

"So that son is a prince," I said. Even if he wasn't pure, he was still one. Like I was.

"Yes," the man said. "And I promised myself that someday, I would find him and he will earn his right as the rightful heir to my throne."

"But how would you do that, when you haven't even spoken to him?" I asked.

"Sadly, so." The man sighed. "But I have my ways, my dear. To make sure that he will indeed be a king someday, I betrothed him to a princess."

"Even when he was still a kid?" I asked, shocked. That sounded even crueler than my situation. "That's horrible."

"I know, but it is the only way if I wanted him to rule my kingdom when he grows up," he said. "Purely royal or not, he is my eldest, and by rule he should be the king."

"So…" I tried to piece it all together. "Your son… lives in New York. He's probably my age. He thinks he's a normal person, but he's actually a prince, and he's engaged to a princess since birth. Wow. That is so _amazing._"

"Thank you," the man said, smiling, as if he was playing along. "But unfortunately, I think the deal has expired already."

"What?" I asked, confused. The man sighed.

"You see, the princess he has been betrothed to is already promised to another person, since I haven't shown my son to the people. He doesn't even know he's engaged. But even so, I will still find him. I will still claim him. And when he gets used to the life as a prince, I shall find him another woman to marry. He will be the official heir to my throne as soon as I tell him all about this."

"Why don't you go find him?" I asked.

"I know where he is," the man said. "I know _who _he is. I still keep track on him, although the last time I checked, it was two years ago. I don't know what's going on in his life lately. He just doesn't know who I am."

"Then why don't you tell him?" I asked. The man shook his head.

"I never seem to find the chance," he said. "But I will. I will try." I smiled.

"Thank you for listening to me," I said. The man smiled in return.

"Anytime, my dear."

"Annabeth!" We turned around to see Mom. She smiled when she saw me and walked to me. I stood up and the man did, too.

"Hi, Mom," I said.

"Hello, dear," she replied. "What are you doing here?" Then she noticed the man for the first time, and her expression changed from warm to just polite.

"Hello," she said to the man, smiling, although it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Athena," the man said, dipping his head as a greeting. "So lovely to see you."

"Likewise," Mom said, a bit stiffly. "It's been many years."

"Indeed," the man said. "I'd like to stay and chat, but my wife Amphitrite is waiting for me in the halls. I will see you later, yes?"

"All right," Mom said. "It was nice seeing you again."

"You too." The man turned to me and smiled. "Good-bye, Annabeth. I hope we find time to talk with each other again." With that, he smiled at Mom and me and left. When he was gone, Mom turned to me.

"What were you talking about?" she asked curiously.

"Life," I said. "Mom, who was that? Why do you guys know each other?"

"Royals know each other," Mom said. "For the most part. I see you have talked to your first king, yes?" I nodded. That man was the first king I have ever talked to.

"Who is he?" I asked. Mom didn't answer me immediately; in fact, she was so silent for a long time I almost thought she didn't hear me.

"Poseidon," she said finally, looking back to where the man had gone. "King of the Atlantic."

**Three words: Oh. My. Goodness. This chapter was soooo hard to write, honestly, so I hope you liked it. I wrote this because I suddenly had, like, a flood of ideas (which is I guess my reward for suffering writer's block before). I think I did a lot of explaining here, and I know you guys are smart so you'll get where I'm coming to.**

** Tell me your theories! Please review because they make me so happy, despite my very busy schedule (I have lots of requirements like wtf). Tell me what you thought of this chapter and what you think is gonna happen next.**

** Review and have a nice day!**

**-Bluecookies19**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Annabeth

Mom woke me up early in the morning of Friday. I was confused at first when I saw a tray of food sitting on top of my bedside table and three of Mom's stylists standing next to her. And then it dawned on me. It was Doomsday, a.k.a. Friday, August 21st. My wedding day.

While I ate berries in Greek yogurt and sipped tea, Mom read to me the agenda of the events this day. Luke was arriving from Sobryta with King Hermes at noon, and the both of us were going to have a soiree, in lieu of my bridal shower. At four I would have to get ready for the wedding, which was on six. After that Luke and I would be headed for our "trip" (_honeymoon_ disgusts me).

After I ate breakfast in my bed, the three ladies took me to the bathroom and filled the tub with lots of the scented liquids you put on them (I prefer showers, honestly), but I insisted to take a bath alone. One hour later, I emerged from the bath, refreshed, heavily fragrant, and a bit miffed.

Mom showed me a pretty pink lace dress, the one that I would wear for the whole day before the wedding. My gown would be shown to me later, when I will be preparing. I fit on the dress and let the stylists do my hair and faces, and after forever, I was ready to rule the world. I went outside, struggling with the heels, and when Mom and the stylists were gone I went back inside my room and changed into my Converse. I felt much better.

I was roaming the palace grounds, hoping to see Poseidon again. I didn't know why, but I felt like I needed to tell the dude my problems. He seemed to be a good listener. The only person who would listen to my problems was Thalia and Percy except they weren't here. I'm pretty sure Octavian ordered all the guards to kill Percy if he came here… if he planned to, anyway. The thought that he wouldn't come for me made me sad. Maybe Poseidon was right. Maybe you'll regret the consequences after breaking the rules.

But Thalia…

She was captain of the guards here. She was also a princess. Her dad was here… maybe she would be welcome. But what would I do? It's not like she was gonna arrive instantly. Olympia was far from New York. And besides, if she does get here, what would we do? Wait for a miracle?

But I decided to call her. Octavian threw my phone away, along with all the pictures and memories I had with Percy and all my friends. I started making my way to my room, where I had a telephone, when I spotted Poseidon. He was talking to a beautiful lady (who I guess is his wife, Amphitrite). A younger handsome boy with curly brown hair and green eyes listened to them politely, his hands behind his back.

The matter seemed to be important, so I turned the other way so I wouldn't have to interrupt them. I ran a few flights of stairs (I avoided the elevators because I secretly feared that I might get stuck inside) and went inside my room. I grabbed the telephone and dialed Thalia's number. As I waited for her to pick up, my mind raced. _Why haven't I thought of this before?_

Finally, _finally_, Thalia picked up. She seemed confused at first when she said, "hello? Who's this?"

"Thalia, it's me!" I said, trying not to sound too excited. "Annabeth!"

"Annabeth?" Thalia said. "Oh, shit. Is that really you? Guys! It's Annabeth!" I heard the shuffling of footsteps and the sounds of voices talking altogether. Then, I heard more scuffling sounds, and I heard the voice of the person I most wanted to talk to right now.

"Annabeth?" Percy's voice said. "Wise Girl, is that you?"

"Percy." I couldn't help it; I burst into tears. Funny how hearing his voice can affect me so much.

"Hey," Percy said softly. "Don't cry."

"How do you know I'm crying?" I asked, trying to smile although I was crying.

"Because I know you." That made me cry even harder.

"Well, jeez, Seaweed Brain, you didn't have to make me more sentimental," I said. I sniffed. "I miss you so much."

"I didn't miss you," Percy said. He sounded like he was crying, too. "I felt like I just died when you were gone."

"Well, that's cute. How are you guys?" I wiped my tears and sat on my bed.

"We're okay. Don't mind us. How about you?"

"I'm holding out fine, but…" I tried to swallow. "Percy, my wedding is this evening. I don't… I don't…" I broke out again. Pathetic, I know, but if you were in my place, you would've done the same.

"Ssshhh," Percy said soothingly. If he were here, he would've been rubbing my back. "Trust me, Annabeth. Everything is gonna be alright."

"I don't know what to do," I said, my voice cracking. "Once I say _I do_, my whole life would be changed permanently."

"Then don't," Percy said. "Don't say anything until you see me." My heart skipped a beat and my mind whirled. What did he just say?

"Percy, what are you talking about──" the doorknob turned and I immediately slammed the telephone back into place, hastily wiping my eyes along the way. The door opened and Mom walked in, holding a box with her. When she saw my face, she looked surprised.

"Annabeth?" she asked gently. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said quickly. "Uh, hi. What is it?"

"I'm here to give you something." She sat down next to me on my bed and opened the box she was holding. Inside was a pretty silver necklace, with a small golden owl and a silver trident as a pendant.

"What's this?" I asked slowly. Mom smiled softly.

"A wedding gift," she said.

"From Luke?" I asked. "King Hermes?"

"No," Mom replied. "From someone else."

"Who?" I said, looking at the beautiful pendant. "And what's with the insignia?" Mom sighed and took my hand.

"These are the symbols of our kingdom and the other," Mom explained, although I didn't understand. "The owl represents Olympia while the trident represents the other kingdom. Do you remember the man you talked to last time?"

"King Poseidon?" I asked.

"Yes," Mom said. "Well, I think I should tell you something."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Poseidon had a son before," Mom explained. "Borne of a commoner, so he's half-royal. Like you. Poseidon's old wife lived in a city far from here. She raised their son. But Poseidon vowed to get his son someday, so he would be king when he grew up."

"Wait…" I flashed back to when Poseidon and I talked. This was the same story. "I know this…"

"He betrothed his son to a princess," Mom continued. "So when he turns seventeen, Poseidon would bring him to his kingdom and tell him all about his identity. And when he turns eighteen, he would marry his princess." _Poseidon didn't mention this part,_ I thought.

"What happened?"

"Unfortunately so, he wasn't able to keep in touch with his son, and he just heard that he turned eighteen recently," Mom said. "And you're already going to get married, so your first engagement is invalid."

"Wait, what?" I said, frowning. "What do you mean, Mom?"

"Annabeth," Mom began, "you are the princess Poseidon's son is engaged to. He is the first person you were ever betrothed to. But since Poseidon still hasn't brought his son to the Atlantic, I looked for other princes so you would never be without a husband."

_The deal is almost expired. The princess he has been betrothed to is already promised to another person, and once she's married, the engagement is finished._

So what Poseidon said to me… about his son being engaged…

It was me all along. And he knew I was the princess he was talking about. So why didn't he tell me?

Percy

"So here's the plan," Jason said to everybody as he straightened out his tie. "Thalia and I are surely invited because Dad's there at the palace. I hear there's gonna be a buffet later, hours before the wedding. The guards won't try to stop us, but I'm sure Octavian sent guards to look out for intruders, particularly you, Percy. I don't know why he thought your coming, but you are. Anyway, Thalia and I will try to distract the guards and you go sneak inside with Leo and Piper. Remember what I told you."

"Go incognito," I remembered. I put my cap on my head── the cap Annabeth gave to me as a graduation gift.

"And bonk Octavian's head when he's seen," Leo added, putting on a pair of extra-large nerd glasses. "Whoa. I wonder if Octavian's smart enough to recognize me in this." Then he put on a bowler hat.

"Yeah, well, let's hope he's dumber than he sounds," Piper said, fingering a blonde strand of her hair (she'd dyed it just for the sake of going undercover). "Dude. That guy speaks ancient English like nobody's business."

"_Disgusting sobriquets,_" I said, mimicking what Octavian said the night he caught Annabeth and me. "What does that even mean?"

"Alright, the trip to the palace might take a while and you have to catch Annabeth before the event starts so we gotta go," Jason said. "Thalia, come on!"

"Do you have any idea how hard _this _is?" Thalia growled as she fit on her heels. She looked completely different, clad in a baby-pink dress and glittery heels with a pretty silver pin holding her hair back. It was totally not her style and it looked weird, but Thalia would've looked beautiful if she wasn't scowling. "Damn." She finally got it on and we headed for the car outside. Frank, Hazel and Nico were staying── they were only going to the wedding.

We didn't know what our plan was, exactly. I guessed Jason would want me to take Annabeth away and run with her── sounds like a romance novel starring young love── and they'd help me. But I didn't really care. I just wanted to see my Wise Girl again, even when it might be the last time and it's in the altar and I'm not the groom.

Anyway, we arrived at the palace grounds several minutes later. It was so amazing. I have never been in a palace before, and the beauty of the whole place amazed me so much, I kept staring outside as Jason drove in. I was only snapped out of my trance when Thalia shook my shoulder gently.

"Okay, Percy," she said. "I'm gonna show you Annabeth's room. It's just in the second floor. You're lucky it's in the back and the garden is behind it, so no one would see you. There used to be vines beside her window, so you could use them to climb up. Pray the windows are open and the vines are still there."

"What if they aren't?" I asked. Thalia pursed her lips.

"Don't worry, they are."

While Jason entertained the guests who were apparently surprised to see him here, Thalia quickly led me to the garden, where we stopped under a big window. Fortunately, the vines were still there. Unfortunately, I didn't know how to climb them.

"Just hang on," Thalia told me. "Hold tight. I've tried it before──" she turned and cursed. I looked at the direction she was looking, and I saw Jason talking to an older man, and he was making hand gestures, signaling her to come over. "Dad's looking for me," she hissed. "Damn. Okay, Percy. You got this. Don't worry. No one comes into the garden that much… usually."

"That's reassuring," I called as she ran away (with much difficulty) to see Jason and her dad. I bit my lip and looked up the window. I heard soft music up. _Annabeth is up there_. The thought was enough to fuel me. I grabbed a vine and tried climbing up. And heck, it was easier than I thought. Pretty soon I was in level with the window. I found a crack in the wall big enough to be a foothold and I placed my feet on it, and then I leaned against the window. I peered inside and my heart almost combusted.

Annabeth was inside, wearing a dark green dress with her hair in a braid. She was sitting on her bed, looking at something in her hand. I saw a tear slipping down her cheek. Although it would blow my cover, I shouted her name.

But Annabeth didn't seem to hear me. She continued staring into her hands. I was relieved a bit, because if she didn't hear me, nobody else did, too. But she had to hear me, to know I was here. I rapped the window with my knuckles, and this time Annabeth heard me. She looked up, trying to search for who made the sound, and her eyes almost landed on me, but then a voice yelled, "Who's there?!"

The sound startled me so much, I lost grip of the window. I let out a shout and closed my eyes as I fell. I expected the hard impact of the ground below me, but… I didn't feel anything at all. I opened my eyes to see that I was hanging upside-down midair, an inch from the ground. My ankle was stuck in one of the vines. I would've fallen headfirst into the ground and I would've been dead if it wasn't for the vines. Thank the vines.

"Gracious," I heard a man's voice say. I heard footsteps coming, and hands started undoing my foot from the vine. "Young man, what do you think are you doing?" He finally untied the vines and I fell to the ground, groaning.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" the man helped me up to my feet and quickly dragged me away from under Annabeth's window. I didn't see Annabeth inside it. Once I was seated in a bench, I was able to look at whoever was helping me. It was a man, in his middle ages, I guess, with raven black hair and sea-green eyes. He had laugh lines, so this man is obviously the easy-going type. Explains why he helped me. When he saw my face clearly, he had a surprised expression, which he quickly hid with a kind smile. Everything about him, even his scent (which smells like salt spray) was familiar and comforting.

"Uh, thanks for helping me," I said. "Sir."

"What were you doing, lad?" he asked, his green eyes unreadable. "What is your name?" I didn't know which question to answer. Both were dangerous if answered. But I chose the latter.

"Percy, sir," I said slowly. "Percy Jackson." Again, the man got a strange reaction, like sad and surprised at the same time. Like dreaded suspicions confirmed.

"Pleasure to meet you, Percy," he replied, smiling. "Finally."

"Uh, what?" I asked stupidly.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. "I──" Suddenly, we heard voices, and we turned to see two guards running towards us.

"There he is!" one of them shouted, pointing at me. "Intruder!"

"What do you mean?" my companion asked coolly, standing up.

"Lord Poseidon." The two guards bowed. "We beg your pardon, sire, but that boy is an intruder."

"I see no intruder," the man, Poseidon, replied calmly. "This boy came with me here." The guards looked at each other uncertainly.

"But Octavian told us that if we ever see him here──" one of them said, and I cursed under my breath. Octavian really expected me here.

"Is that so?" Poseidon asked, as if he were amused. "Well, gentlemen, I'm afraid Octavian is wrong. This young man is no interloper. Like I said, he came in here with me."

"Oh." The guard's voice faltered. "I apologize, sire. We'll leave you alone now." With that, the two guards bowed and hurried away.

"Thank you," I breathed. "Thank you so much." The man gave me a half-smile, and I realized it was the kind of smile I sometimes make.

"So are you an intruder, my boy?" he asked, although there was no hint of suspicion in his voice.

"Not really." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "I came here to see someone."

"A girl," he guessed, and I blushed and nodded. "Maybe I could help you, young man. I myself went through that in my teenage years." He winked, and I couldn't help but think that this man would have looked like me when he was still my age.

"Who are you?" I asked. He smiled.

"Poseidon," he said. "Now, tell me why you came here." So I told him. I shouldn't have, since he was a complete stranger, but there was something inside me that said he could be trusted. I didn't know why, but I started telling him about my entire life. When I came to the part where Annabeth came into my life, Poseidon looked surprised, but he quickly hid it. But when I said that I came here to see Annabeth in her wedding, he didn't bother hiding the fact that he knew something about this.

"I don't know what to do," I said, and even though it wasn't very manly of me, I let a tear slip down my eyes. Hey, a real man wears pink and cries in front of somebody else, right?

"Perseus," Poseidon said, and I looked up, taken aback.

"How did you know my name?" I demanded.

"Do you want to get your Annabeth back?" he asked. I still wanted to know how he knew my name, but I nodded.

"Of course."

"Then there is something I'd like to tell you." I nodded and he began talking. He told me about how he talked with Annabeth before, and like me, she had shared her life story with Poseidon. Huh. So what is he, now, a therapist? Anyway, he said he had the same experiences like Annabeth's. When he was younger, he went to New York with his father, where he met this girl and then they fell in love and dated, although he was a royal and she was a commoner (like Annabeth's parents). Eventually they had a kid, but Poseidon had to go back to his kingdom because he was to get married with another woman (once again, just like Annabeth).

Poseidon did marry, but he never forgot his old girlfriend and their child. Even though he couldn't continue their relationship anymore, he did his responsibilities to his child. His old girlfriend got married again, and their child grew up to be a normal teenager. But Poseidon had other plans. When his son got old enough, he would find him and tell him his real identity, that he was a prince, and then take him back to the Atlantic so he could rule the kingdom when the time comes.

Poseidon had another son and a wife, and he still couldn't find a way to tell them about his son, so he made a way to ensure that his son does get the throne: he betrothed him to a princess. So when he gets married, he will still rule Poseidon's kingdom, since he's the older brother and it's the right thing.

When Poseidon finished talking, I frowned. "Why are you telling me this?" I asked.

"The princess my son has been engaged to," Poseidon said, "is Annabeth."

"What?" I felt like Poseidon just bashed my head with a rock. "Excuse me?"

"It's true," he agreed, as though he seemed pleased by the fact.

"Why do you seem happy about this?" I said. "I thought you wanted to help me, dude."

"Yes, well." Poseidon smiled. "You see, Annabeth was engaged with Luke because I wasn't able to show my son out the public. Her mother, Athena, wanted to make sure her daughter gets married, so she secured another prince in case I didn't turn up my son. Anyway, my son's and Annabeth's engagement expires… if she and Luke get married. But if my son shows up before the wedding, well technically, he is the original husband-to-be, so the wedding between Annabeth and Luke will be canceled, no matter the circumstances. Just for the sake of Annabeth's wedding with my son. That's how important he is."

"So?" I still didn't get why Poseidon was telling me this. He looked me straight in the eyes, and I realized that the both of us had the same green eyes.

"Percy," he said gently. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah," I said.

"If your… if your father showed up one day, what would you feel?" Oh. Why was Poseidon asking me this? What is going on?

"I'd be happy," I said, deciding to answer. "But my father's dead. Or so Mom says. But I know he isn't dead. He's out there, somewhere. And if he comes to me, I'll accept him. I'll forgive him for not showing up before. I'll still love him, because he's my dad." I saw Poseidon's eyes shine, and tears fell from his eyes as he smiled.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked slowly.

And then it dawned on me. Why hadn't I noticed it before? Poseidon went to New York. He met a girl. They had a child. He left. He had the same black hair as mine. We had the same sea-green eyes. His son…

"Wait…" I gasped. "So, you're…" My heart felt like it was about to burst any moment now. I still haven't confirmed it, but I was about to explode out of happiness now.

"Percy," Poseidon said, smiling, "I'm your father."

**It has been too long. I know. I'm sorry.**

** But hey guys. So, I know it's been a long time since I actually updated something, and I'm sorry for that. I'm just too busy with school, but thankfully, now I'm not, so huzzah!**

** My laptop battery is dangerously low and I still have to make some projects, so I'll stop rambling now.**

** Review and have a nice day! :)**

**-Bluecookies19**


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Annabeth

I was sitting on my bed, staring at the necklace Mom gave me. She had gone to check on my wedding gown, and I was trying to think about the things Poseidon said. If he knew I was the princess his son was betrothed to, then why didn't he tell me? He also said he knew who his son was. Why didn't he tell me who he is?

Suddenly, I heard knocks and I looked up, trying to find who was knocking. I thought I heard the sound coming from my glass window, but when I looked, there was no one. Feeling alarmed (for some reason), I hurriedly put the necklace back to its box and hurried outside. My room was in front of the garden, so maybe whoever was knocking was still in the garden (because I was sure somebody did knock).

But nobody seemed to be there. I encountered two guards coming from there, but they didn't stop to talk; they just bowed and continued their way. So I went there myself. I stopped at the spot which was under my window, and sure enough, I saw some of the vines Thalia and I were accustomed to use as a ladder to my room before were not sticking to the wall like they should be, and then I knew somebody did climb up. But how did that somebody knew I used those vines? They were attached to the wall and looked as inconspicuous as a rock. Unless that person was smarter than Aristotle, that is.

Then I heard voices── men's voices, talking somewhere farther. I started to make my way to the sounds, but then I froze in my tracks. Lying on the ground in front of me was a cap. Slowly, my heart thrumming, I picked it up and gasped.

It was the cap I gave to Percy on graduation.

I heard the voices talking again and I grabbed Percy's cap, walking to where the voices were. But just as I took another step, I felt a hand grip my arm, and I turned to see Mom's face, her gray eyes wide with concern.

"Annabeth," she said. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said quickly, letting out a sigh of relief. "Nothing, Mom."

"Why are you in here?" Mom asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Just… getting a whiff of fresh air," I lied. "You know; before the 'bridal shower' and the… main event."

"Are you nervous?" Mom asked gently.

"I guess," I said. _Women only get nervous on their special days. This wedding is sure as heck not special._

"What's that?" Mom asked, pointing to Percy's cap on my hand. I swallowed.

"Oh," I said, trying to think of something to lie about. _Think, think, think…_ "It's, uh, a cap. I bought it from a boutique in New York. I thought it looked stylish."

"Why are you bringing a cap on your walks?" Mom asked, steering me away from the garden ("I want to go anonymously!" I replied). I looked behind my shoulder, but I couldn't hear the voices anymore. So I let Mom lead me away until we arrived at my room.

I changed into another dress, this time a red one. Just as I pinned my hair back with a bobby pin, there was a knock and the door opened, revealing Luke's handsome smiling face.

"Hey," he said, walking over towards us. He gave Mom a hug and then he hugged me, too.

"Hi," I said.

"Excuse me a minute," Mom said, smiling at Luke and me. "I'll go see if your dress has arrived already."

"Again?" I asked, and Mom rolled her eyes, a gesture I've seldom seen her do.

"I must make sure that they did not flaw it," she said matter-of-factly. "I myself designed it."

"I'm sure it's beautiful, Your Majesty," Luke said, smiling.

"Thank you, Luke," Mom said. "I'll be back." With that, she left and closed the door behind her.

"You're lucky to have Queen Athena as your mother," Luke commented. I raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" he shrugged.

"I don't know. It's just that… well, my mom's dead, you know. You're lucky to have a mother, in general."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." I sighed and sat down on my bed.

"How do you feel?" Luke asked, sitting on the chair next to my bed.

"I don't know," I replied. "Nervous? Sad? Angry?"

"Suicidal?" Luke suggested. I smiled.

"Probably. I mean, don't you feel the same way?" Luke looked out the window and sighed.

"I've learned to accept things the way they are," he said softly. "Maybe you should, too, Annabeth. I don't want any of us getting hurt just because we try to fight the inevitable."

"That's easy for you to say," I said, maybe a bit too sharply. I blushed and cleared my throat. "I'm sorry. But Luke, you gotta understand me."

"You liked a boy." That wasn't a question. Luke didn't seem angry or anything, but it surprised me.

"How── how did you know?" I asked.

"It's true, isn't it?" Luke said, facing me. "You met someone in New York when you were there, and you like him, until now. Maybe you're even in a relationship with him. That guy you danced with on Homecoming? Percy Jackson, right? That's him."

"I…" My voice faltered. "Luke, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just──" But Luke just smiled.

"You don't have to say sorry to me," he said. "Annabeth, I could feel what you feel. You're not the first princess I've been engaged to." I frowned.

"I'm not?"

"Oh, you're the tenth," Luke said. "I started getting promised to princesses when I was just sixteen. There was even one time where I almost got married when I was seventeen. That was when I felt what you feel right now. I wanted freedom. I didn't want what I had back then. I'd understand if you broke the rules."

"Still. I hope you forgive me," I said. "When Octavian caught me and Percy, just before he beat us, he kept yelling, 'Infidelity to the prince!' What, am I committing adultery or something?"

"Wait, what?" Luke said, frowning. "Octavian… he beat you?"

OOOOOOPPPPSSSS.

"Uh, no?" I said, laughing nervously. "I never said anything like that…"

"I heard you, Annabeth," Luke insisted. "What did Octavian do to you?" But before I could open my mouth to answer, the door opened and Mom poked her head in.

"Annabeth, Luke? The party's starting."

~oOo~

The soiree ended earlier than I thought it would. All Luke and I did was just to smile and nod and laugh (if necessary) with whoever greeted us. Of course, we also pretended we were a happy couple. Like we weren't in an arranged marriage.

Now I was sitting in my chair in front of the mirror, staring at my made-up face and hair, waiting for Mom to come inside with my wedding gown. I stared at the way my stylists did me today; light pink eye-shadow on my eyes (I guess they wanted me to look "innocent"), a faint blush on my cheeks, and a light pink lip color. They did my hair in a loose bun, letting some of the curls escape so the hairstyle looked more natural.

I tried not to think about what was going to happen. Luke and I were going to get married. We were set off for Hong Kong after the wedding. And no, we were _not _doing things normal married people do on honeymoons.

Most of all, I thought about Percy. Was I ever going to see him again? And what about my friends? Thalia? Have they already accepted this? Have they learned to just give in to the fact which I couldn't even assent?

I felt a tear trickle down my cheek and I wiped it quickly, careful not to ruin the make-up. I heard a knock and the door opened, revealing Mom's smiling face.

"Here's your gown," she said. I turned to see the two stylists wheel a mannequin in. My eyes widened at the sight of the gown it was donning. It was absolutely beautiful.

It was immaculate white, with a lace bodice and a sweetheart neckline. The top was simple and sheer, and the skirt, although quite huge and voluminous, was simple, with neat ruffles with pearls and white roses.

And I realized what Mom planned me to look like── from my simple make-up to my simple gown. Everything was humble but beautiful at the same time. She wanted me to look like a sweet, innocent bride; a young girl who married the love of her life and was happy with it. I figured if I looked the way Mom wanted me to, it would hide the pain I was feeling right now.

"Well," Mom said, smiling. "Let's try it on you, shall we, dear?" I nodded and took off my robe, and then they helped me get on the dress. It was comfortable and felt soft on my skin, and I turned to look at the mirror and smiled. Innocent or not, I did look pretty.

After fitting on my shoes (thankfully they were flats), Mom opened a box and held out a silver jeweled comb the size of my hand.

"Here," she said, pinning the comb on the back of my head, just above my bun, to pin the veil on place. "This should do it." She looked at me, and for I saw tears forming in her eyes.

"Mom, what's wrong?" I asked. Athena doesn't cry. She never does.

"I'm sorry," Mom said, wiping her eyes. "It's just that… you're so grown up already. My little princess is gone."

"Yeah," I said quietly.

"I apologize for this," Mom said. She touched my cheek. "Annabeth, you're still a young girl. You have a bright future ahead of you. You could have done many things if you didn't get married." _Took you long enough to realize, huh?_ I thought, but I bit it back. I have never seen Mom so emotional before.

"It's okay," I said, trying to smile. "Princess responsibilities, right?"

"Thank you," Mom said, smiling. "Thank you for understanding, my daughter. One day, you are going to be a good queen. I am sure of it."

"Uh, thanks," I said. The idea of being queen has never dawned on me before. I have always thought Mom would be queen forever. "Um…" The door opened and a butler stuck his head in.

"Pardon me, my lady," he said. "But I just wanted to inform you that the wedding will start in five minutes." Mom nodded at him and turned back to me.

"Well," she said, smiling, "let us go, shall we?" I forced a nervous smile and followed my mother outside the room.

The wedding was held someplace in the middle of the garden, where they set up a pulpit and chairs for the guests. I guessed Mom wanted my wedding to have _loads _of flowers, because that spot happened to be abundant in a lot of white flowers.

When I stopped just outside the wedding place (Mom said that the bride should not be seen until the ceremony has started) I saw a lot of people sitting in the chairs, and they were all dressed elegantly, in different-colored dresses and tuxedos. I saw Luke on front, wearing a black tux and looking exceptionally handsome, although the nervous smile on his face kinda made him look like a crocodile just bit his bum (sorry, Luke).

Finally, after two minutes, the preacher (or whoever was going to wed us── who weds royals, anyway?), a man dressed in white and gold, started talking and then before I knew it, the church organ was playing the wedding march and Mom squeezed my arm with a smile, and then I was walking down the aisle, holding my bouquet of white lilies with my sweaty hands and trying not to step on my gown.

I have dreamt of weddings before. When I was still a kid, I imagined my perfect wedding── a beautiful gown, many visitors, the perfect wedding place, and of course, my groom. Sure enough, when I started walking, all the people stood up and looked at me, smiling appreciatively. I saw Poseidon somewhere in the middle, standing next to his wife and his son. When he caught my eyes, he half-smiled, and it somehow reminded me of somebody.

Yeah, sure; beautiful gown, check. Perfect wedding place, check. Lots of visitors, check. So, I did get my perfect wedding after all. But when I saw Luke clearly now, smiling at me genuinely, I felt my stomach drop, because I realized that there was one factor in my perfect wedding that was missing. And I could never have it.

I tried to stall time by purposely slowing my steps, but I could see the pianist getting impatient (he was adding more force to the keys). Playing wedding marches must have been boring. Finally, I stopped at the middle of the altar with Luke.

"Hi," he said quietly.

"Um, nice tux," I offered.

"You look beautiful."

"Thanks. You too."

"I look beautiful?" I had to stifle a laugh, and the preacher cleared his throat.

"Do you, Luke Evan Castellan…" he rambled on, but I zoned out. I remembered what Percy said at the call, "Don't say anything until you see me."

Could it be possible that… he was here?

I was about to turn around, but then Luke said, "I do." I couldn't believe at how firm his voice sounded. He must have accepted the reality, like he said, a long time ago. The preacher turned to me.

"Do you, Annabeth Rose Chase, take this man…"

_Don't say anything until you see me._

I closed my eyes.

_I love you, Wise Girl._

The preacher finished talking and was looking at me expectantly, but I didn't hear a word he said.

"Annabeth," Luke muttered under his breath. "Say yes."

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I looked at the preacher's eyes, and I could see that he was trying to prompt me, kinda like: _listen, kid, I know this is not your choice, but I'm kinda sick of weddings and let's get on with this._

I looked at the crowds and their expressions, and I could see that they were all waiting for me to say those precious two words. I saw Mom in the back. She was looking at me worriedly. I saw King Hermes. He was smiling at me encouragingly. I saw Poseidon, but his eyes only read, _do what you must._

And then I saw somebody else behind, and my heart jumped.

Percy started walking towards the aisle, wearing a black tux. His hair was disheveled (as always) and his eyes were kind of bloodshot, but when he smiled at me, I thought he had never looked so handsome. He was right now, anyway.

But what was he doing here?

I realized it too late. The people all turned to him, including the preacher and Luke. Nobody tried to stop him. I didn't know why. And I didn't know what was going to happen after he opened his mouth and said something, loud and clear.

"Stop the wedding."

**Oh. Hey there.**

**So I won't be explaining why it took me so long to update because I guess everybody knows the reason why teenagers can't make their stories their top priorities for the moment: school. So, yeah.**

**I wouldn't take long and I'm supaah tired, so review and have a nice day. Peace out :)**

**-Bluecookies19**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Percy

Seriously, I didn't know what I was doing. Shoot me in the face now.

So here's what happened: Poseidon told me he's my father. Just like that. And before I had time to comprehend, or get emotional, he yanked me up and immediately got me dressed with this tux, saying that I had to crash the wedding.

And that is why, fellow humans, twenty minutes later, I was in front of a large mirror in Poseidon's── Dad's── bedroom in a black (obviously new) tux and trying to straighten the green tie a chambermaid gave me. I had managed to tame my hair a bit (yaaaas), so instead of its usual unruly black waves, I managed (with a bit of hair gel) to flatten it out a bit and make it stand a little. I was going to try to smoothen it out, but I figured this was the best I could get, so I let it be.

As I struggled with the tie, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. It was kind of hard to believe that this guy in the mirror was the same guy who was beaten to a pulp some days ago (I still had a bruise on my temple and my cheek). I let myself think about what just happened.

Poseidon, this all-powerful dude who happens to be a king of this big city is my dad. The dad who I thought was lost at sea many years ago. The dad who just confessed to me the truth minutes ago. The dad who was helping me get Annabeth back.

"I know it's confusing." I turned to see Poseidon (I should really get used to calling him "Dad") step into the bedroom, wearing the same outfit as mine. His black hair and green eyes were so similar to mine, and when I looked back into the mirror, I knew that I was gonna look like him when I was older (maybe even more handsome). "But you have to just accept the reality, Perseus. It's something your dear friend Annabeth still cannot do."

"Yeah, well, what reality do you mean?" I asked. "I have so many realities to accept in my life so far."

"The reality that you are my son and you are to be a king someday," Poseidon said firmly.

"Whoa, wait, nobody ever mentioned kingship," I said, frowning up at my father. "Look. Dad. I accept that I'm your son. I'm very glad about it. But… I still haven't even let the truth sink in, and you're adding up another complication."

"Yes. Right. I'm sorry," Dad said, shaking his head. He straightened up and gave me a smile. "Well, you seem to be ready. Let's go, son. It is time for you to do something your mother told me you were extremely good at." I raised an eyebrow.

"And that is?" Poseidon winked.

"Something inane."

So, several minutes later, I was seated at the back row of the place where my girlfriend was to be married to another guy, wearing a tux and being part of the assembly. Dad had given me the instructions of what he wanted me to do. Of what he wanted me to do because he knew I wanted to do it, too. Does that even make sense?

After waiting several minutes more, the ceremony finally started. Well, actually, the person standing in front started droning out about the special day for Annabeth Chase and Luke Castellan, in which I wanted to strangle him for.

And then the assembly stood up, so I had to as well. And then the doors opened, and my heart melted a bit in what I saw. Annabeth walked in, looking… well, she had always looked beautiful. But now, she shone like a million stars in a dark sky. She didn't see me, but I doubt she would recognize me, anyway.

She seemed to be glowing; heck, I never thought I'd say this, but she kinda looked like a candle was burning inside her, illuminating her face from the inside. A cold feeling washed over me. She looked like she was glowing because she was… _happy._

_But you have to just accept the reality, Perseus. It's something your dear friend Annabeth still cannot do._

Had she accepted it? Was my father mistaken?

But then I saw that she wasn't smiling like she was supposed to. Sure, Annabeth looked tragically beautiful (so sorry for the poor choice of adjective), but as she passed by, I swear I saw a small tear slip from her eye.

Before I realized it, she had stepped in front of the altar and she and Luke were already exchanging vows (jeez, the preacher seems to be in a hurry). Then something made me freeze. Luke had said the words, "I do," and now everyone is waiting for the bride── Annabeth── to say the same as well.

I mentally cursed myself for being so distracted. I had let them do it. I was supposed to do whatever I was to do _before _the exchange of vows. Stupid, stupid. No wonder Annabeth called me Seaweed Brain.

The thought left me feeling even more stupid. But it also gave me hope, for some reason. The fact that Annabeth was hesitating, looking towards the back, made me step up from my seat.

And that is why I'm standing like an idiot in the middle of the aisle, yelling, "Stop the wedding."

But my words earned the desired response. Everybody turned to me, looking shocked. I caught a glimpse at my dad. He was grinning. I saw that Luke was trying to hide a smile. Annabeth looked like I just said hello in Mandarin to her. The stares I was getting made me want to curl in a ball and hide, but I swallowed and balled up.

"Thank you," I managed to say. "Annabeth──"

"Whoa, whoa," the preacher said. "Wait, who are you, young man?" Somehow, I managed a small smile.

"I'm Percy Jackson," I said. "The son of Poseidon." I heard gasps and murmurs, but nobody made that much of a ruckus, so I guessed they already knew about The Tale of Poseidon's Other Son. Then somebody stood up from the crowd, and I felt my blood boil.

"That's ridiculous," Octavian snapped. "King Poseidon's son──"

"Is me," a boy piped up from the assembly. He looked young, with slightly the same features as mine, but looked somehow a watered-down version of Dad. "But that is my older brother." He pointed to me, and I couldn't help but smile at that.

"And I guess everybody knows about the story about _my _engagement," I continued, trying to look like nothing fazed me, which was kinda hard. Annabeth's mom, Athena, had wicked steely glare. "So I believe this wedding, is _ours._"

And then Annabeth let out a mix of a cry and a laugh, and she gripped her skirts and ran towards me. I did the same, and in a second she was back in my arms, and I was kinda crying and laughing at the same time. It was just about the best moment in my life.

Annabeth was back. And I wasn't letting her go again.

**I don't know what i'm doing. Shoot me in the face now.**

** So I know I'm way behind schedule and you're probably mad at me. I apologize.**

** Sooooo. I hope you liked this chapter. I know it's short and you're probably not satisfied, but I guess what's important is Percabeth's reunion, right?**

** And confession time: this is just actually a second version of the story. I wrote something else for this, but it was too... I dunno, intense, I guess, and I wasn't sure where I was headed in it so I decided to just make it like this. If you wanna know about it, you could just PM me. I'll tell you what it was supposed to be.**

** And please review in this chapter. Tell me what you thought. Next chapter would be the last one, so please make sure you do review :D**

** Review and have a nice day :)**

**-Bluecookies19**


	31. Chapter 31

** PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE I REPEAT READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE THIS IS NOT A DRILL.**

** Okay. Hi. So I guess we all know that it has been too long since I last updated and I am incredibly sorry for that. I apologize to you a thousand times. I'm so guilty, I swear :(**

** Anyway, so you don't go and hunt me and then slaughter me, I will explain to you why I wasn't able to update. You see, I have discovered the beauty of anime. I mean, come on, Japanese thingies are kinda really addicting. Anyway, I kinda got stuck into three anime series and I just _had _to download them into my laptop, and as a result all the episodes made me unable to write because a) I got so engrossed in watching, b) it became a fandom and I couldn't thing of anything except it (including Percabeth, sadly :() and c) I don't wanna write a chapter when I'm not inspired. It would really end crappy.**

** Also add in the sudden writer's block and my business and I'm a mess.**

** But now, I finally was able to set aside my new fandoms and the cause of my business, and I had looked up some Percabeth stuff and was able to grab some inspiration. And BAM you got a chappie.**

** So this is the last chapter for Of Love and Royals. Can I ask you guys a favor? Please review because this is the last one and I won't be writing again for a long time ( I guess). It would really make my day if you would review.**

** Anyway, I'll finish my rant. Don't worry; there won't be any author's note in the end. I just wanna say thank you to all of you amazing readers for sticking with this story until its end, which is this chapter. Love you all :D**

**-Bluecookies19**

Percy

"Personally," Annabeth said as she threw the last stone on the water (making seven skips. _Seven._ Now you know why I love her), "I don't think I'll be able to handle the entire kingdom by myself. Do you?" When I didn't answer, she snapped her fingers in front of my face. "Percy? Were you even listening?"

"Of course," I said, although I wasn't, not really. The truth was I was blocking out all the noise and was just staring at this girl in front of me, this amazing girl who I married just six months ago. A girl who was young and strong and, although snappy, was just awesome nonetheless.

"Well?" Annabeth bent down to pick up a flat stone. "Honestly, Percy. If I didn't know you I'd call you dumb."

"Well, you call me Seaweed Brain," I said, grinning. I threw a stone into the water, landing five skips. "Damn, I would've broken your record."

"You don't really feel nervous, aren't you?" Annabeth said, eyeing me, a small smile on her face.

"About what?" I asked, throwing another stone. Six skips. Almost there.

"You know, running the Atlantic." Annabeth sighed and sat down the ground. "Well, I couldn't blame you. You still got your dad. Mom's already training me to do what she does."

"You don't have to worry about it," I said gently, sitting down next to her. "You're awesome, Annabeth. Besides, I'll be here to 'rule' next to you." At that, she smiled, and my heart trembled. I leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.

"So much for a day off," she said. "Come on, Seaweed Brain. Our flight's at five, and I still haven't had a shower."

"You stink, Mrs. Jackson," I teased. Annabeth rolled her eyes at me. "Race you to the palace?"

"You're _so _going to lose," she replied, smirking. "Ready, set, go!" She took of laughing, and I sprinted after her, saying "you cheated!" along the way. It kinda felt happy for me, I guess, in a nostalgic way (although I'm pretty sure we have never done this before. Racing, I mean). It felt like we were just two teenagers, enjoying each other's company and being, _cough_, in love, cough, or something. Like two kingdoms weren't prepared to be burdens on our shoulders in the future.

As usual, Annabeth won, and she teased me about it until we reached our bedroom. When we entered, I saw that there were two suitcases lying open on the bed and one of them was half-stacked with a mound of clothes.

"Uh, what are these?" I asked.

"Clothes," Annabeth said simply, grabbing a towel and heading for the bathroom. "Uh, duh, Seaweed Brain? We're headed to New York."

"Are we gonna visit Mom?" I asked hopefully. "And the gang?"

"Why not?" Annabeth replied, smiling. "It'd be nice to see them again."

"Okay," I said, returning the smile. "Thanks."

"And please pack up while I'm here," Annabeth called, and before I could protest, the door closed shut. Sighing, I sat down at the bed and began to do what she told me.

I'll give you a brief summary of what just happened: remember when I said "stop the wedding," and then it _did_, and then Annabeth came to me and we had this little reunion together? Well, the wedding actually continued, but with a different groom this time. I guess the audience can adjust quickly to some new arrangements.

We didn't bother for a honeymoon or something (Annabeth said it was supposed to be in Hong Kong, but she said she didn't really wanna go). The reason for that was because we had a lot to discuss with Dad and Queen Athena, and it would take a long time. But we _did _go to Australia the next month. (And yeah, why Australia? Dunno. Maybe I wanted to get kicked by a kangaroo in the butt.)

After that, well… things started to change. I went back home to New York with Annabeth and Dad (Mom was surprised to see him), and with their help I was able to tell Mom everything that happened. She seemed to accept it easily; I mean, she knew about me being a prince, after all, and she practically _adored _Annabeth.

After that, Annabeth and I went to our friends, who were kinda emotionally-strung when we told them our news. Thalia was kinda miffed that Percy was her cousin; Jason and Nico were cool with that. Piper screamed when we told them about the wedding, and Hazel… well, for a girl like her, I'd say she kinda looked a bit scandalized. Leo, as always, simply asked for us to take him to Hong Kong if we ever did plan to go there, after all.

Afterwards, we went home to Olympia. Annabeth and I were, _cough,_ married, _cough,_ so we had the privilege (?) to share a room together. On our first night, we were a bit hesitant. We stood in front of the big bed, both in our pajamas and holding pillows. The conversation went like this:

Annabeth: Uh, do we divide it or something?

Me: *shrugs* Do we have to?

Annabeth: *crosses her arms* Uh, duh, Seaweed Brain? You don't actually think we're gonna sleep like married couples?

Me: *smirks* Well, we are married after all. No mischief, Wise Girl.

Annabeth: …

Me: *makes baby-seal eyes* Pleeeeeeeeaaaassee?

Annabeth: *sighs in frustration* Fine.

And then we both lay down without making a pillow fortress, and eventually we cuddled and got cozy and eventually fell asleep. Nothing dirty or naughty or anything (although there was this one incident that kinda seems similar to it one time). Just good old peace and quiet.

All in all, everything's fine. Luke seemed okay with it── in fact, he even found another girl. And guess who it is── believe it or not── _Thalia_. Like, wutttt? We discovered this when Luke visited us while we were in New York, and when he was asked what he wanted, he said he wanted to talk to Thalia. We sent them both out, and when Thalia returned she was all red in the face. We didn't have to guess.

Octavian A. Jerk (A is for asshole, by the way) was fired (yas, thankfully) and quite not honorably, I guess. He left off spitting curse words and the guards had to escort him.

Athena… well, she seemed to accept it. Not wholeheartedly, yes, but at least. She's still giving me those limited-edition glares.

Hermes didn't seem to mind. I mean, his son's pining at Thalia, and she's a royal, too. Maybe he realized that letting Luke marry the lady he wants was better than engaged weddings. (Lesson learned from me, by the way). Poseidon's cool, too. Of course he is. And my stepmom and younger brother were awesome-r than I expected, so I got along well with them.

Now my Wise Girl and I were headed once again to New York to visit Mom and our friends. Several minutes later, I was done with my packing (I mean, _prrfff_, piling clothes like dirty laundry is easy) and the bathroom door opened, and Annabeth stepped outside, wearing a robe and a towel on her head.

I can't help but notice that even when she was partially wet and in a towelhead, she looked… wait, lemme search a good adjective first…

…

She was absolutely breathtakingly _beautiful_.

Annabeth noticed me staring, because she rolled her eyes at me, although she was smiling.

"Don't let the flies in, Seaweed Brain," she teased. I stuck my tongue out at her and stood up, pulling her into a hug. Annabeth gave a little surprised yelp, and the towel fell from her head. I didn't bother to pick it up; I just kept my arms around her.

"Uh, Percy?" she said, her voice muffled against my chest. "Mind if I pick the towel?"

"Don't." I closed my eyes and buried my face in her hair. "Can we just stay like this for a while?" Silence. Then,

"Okay."

So we did. I don't know what came into me, but maybe I was just in the mood for being sentimental. Don't blame me. After what seemed like forever, Annabeth stood on her toes and gave me a light kiss.

"Don't get too emotional, Seaweed Brain," she said, her eyes sparkling. "We still have a flight to catch."

"Was I?" I protested, but she just laughed and grabbed a shirt and a pair of shorts.

"Come on, go ask Mom to tell the chauffeur to get us to the airport," Annabeth said, pushing me to the door. "Besides, you can't see me changing here, silly."

"Hey, I could!" I complained. "Husband's privileges! Hey──"

"Percy!" This time, Annabeth was the one whining. Surprise, surprise. "Shoo!" I rolled my eyes and put my hand on the door frame to stop her from pushing me away completely.

"Fine," I said. "One condition." Annabeth stopped to raise an eyebrow at me.

"What?" Instead of answering, I leaned forward and stole a kiss from her. I almost laughed when I saw how quickly her face reddened.

"Percy!" Annabeth complained. I laughed, raising my hands up.

"Okay, okay," I said, still chuckling. "Hurry up, yeah?"

"Whatever," she said, but she was trying to stop herself from laughing, too. "Bye." With that, she closed the door, and I made my way downstairs to the find the driver (there was no way I was gonna ask Athena to do it for me).

Shortly after I told the driver, Annabeth walked downstairs, holding our4 bags and looking like a normal, unmarried teenager with a simple shirt, shorts, sneakers, and her hair in a ponytail.

"Let's go?" she asked as I grabbed the bags from her and gave it to the driver.

"Sure," I said, holding out my arm to her. Annabeth rolled her eyes, but she took it, anyway. Our private jet was just at the front of the palace, where there was open space. Annabeth and I held hands as we mounted the steps to the plane.

Once we were settled comfortably in our chairs and the pilot had announced take-off, I couldn't help but smile for no reason.

"Percy?" Annabeth looked at me with her intense gray eyes. "What's that smile for?"

"Does it have to be for something?" I asked back. She shrugged.

"Point taken," she muttered, and sat back down on her seat. I sighed and kissed her forehead.

"I love you," I said quietly, enough for just her to hear. I smiled when I saw the blush creeping on her cheeks.

"Ditto," Annabeth replied teasingly. "I mean, I love you, too."

That was all I needed to hear. The pilot's voice blared through the speakers, saying that we were ready for take-off. We fastened our seatbelts, momentarily letting go of each other's hands, but after that we came back to our original position and settled back.

The plane left the ground and pretty soon Annabeth was asleep, her head on my shoulder. I smiled at her peaceful state and brushed a curl gently away from her face.

I didn't want to fall in love with a princess. I honestly didn't. Now, some of you must be thinking that I'm a weird person, for not wanting to fall for a princess. I mean, a princess has it all right? The beauty, the grace, the brains, everything. But no. The princess I fell for had them all, but everything's different.

Everybody wants a good love story. Like a fairytale-like love story. Where the guy's the prince and the girl's the princess. In this case, you got that kind of story. I hope you'll remember this, but don't put this on the same category as Cinderella or Snow White. This is different. In a good way.

Let's go back to how a princess gets into the story. Well, it isn't really because of the school. It's the thing I believe to be called, "destiny." Sounds cheesy, I know, but hey, it worked for me, right?

I'll give you one small piece of advice── but heck, don't actually do it if you actually know me. You know why. But still; if destiny ever happens to make fun of you, play along. It'll take you someplace unexpected, for bad or for good. I hope for the latter, of course.

Take my word for it. Things come when you least expect them to. And a certain gray-eyed royalty stole my heart when I least expected her to do so, too.

_End_


End file.
